Cultural Competency for Anti-Drug Coalitions

By Eduardo Hernandez, Ph.D.

Community anti-drug coalitions have much to gain by committing to increase their cultural competence. A coalition’s ability to communicate effectively within a diverse cultural environment brings new perspectives, ideas and strategies to the table and can deepen trust and cooperation with community members.

Higher levels of cultural competence can also increase respect and mutual understanding between cultures while helping to shine light on potential problems. By fostering an atmosphere of inclusion and equality, coalitions can enhance community participation and in doing so improve their sustainability.

Guiding Principles

Cultural competence is a point on a continuum with several guiding principles that enable coalitions to have positive interactions in culturally diverse environments:

• Each group has unique cultural needs. Your coalition should work to make room for several paths that lead to the same goal.
• Diversity within cultures is important. Recognize that cultural groups are complex and diverse, don’t view them as a single entity.
• People have group identities and personal identities. It’s important to treat people as individuals and also acknowledge their group identities.
• People are served in varying degrees by the dominant culture. Coalitions must recognize that what works well for the dominant cultural group may not work for members of other cultural groups.
• Culture is ever-present. Acknowledge culture as a predominant force in shaping behaviors, values, and institutions.

Self-Assessment
There are several organizational components that reflect an enhanced level of cultural competency. Leadership can be supportive and committed to cultural competence and the organizational mission can include diversity as an essential element. Coalition staff can reflect the diversity of the community and outreach to diverse groups encouraged. Coalition materials can use inclusive language. Coalitions can offer training on cultural diversity issues. Finally, staff and diverse community members can work together and share responsibility for addressing substance abuse problems.

One of the first steps in building cultural competency is to find out how your coalition is currently functioning. The following questions can help your coalition assess its related strengths and weaknesses:

• Does your community assessment include information about the major cultural groups in your community?
• Have members of diverse groups assisted the coalition in analyzing and interpreting your data?
• Does your coalition engage all sectors of the community in a community-wide prevention effort? Are some groups not adequately represented or “at the table?”
• Does your strategic plan address the needs of diverse groups in your community?
• Do your organizational plans incorporate cultural competence concepts?
• Have you selected a prevention program that has been tested/ replicated with populations you intend to work with?
• Does that program need to be adapted to meet the needs of diverse groups?

• Increase the number of diverse persons in your coalition
• Develop an educational plan for employees, coalition members, volunteers, to improve competencies
• Identify and re-write policies, practices, and structures that limit the full participation of diverse communities
• Hold educational events that explore the history, cultural, issues, and strengths of diverse groups within your communities
• Assure that diverse voices are “at the table”
• Establish, communicate, and model how the mission, vision, goals and values of the coalition align with and are served by a diverse membership and inclusive practices.

Culturally Enhanced Coalitions

By addressing the benefits and principles of cultural competency, your coalition shows the community that it values diversity. Putting that value into action through self-assessment and interventions, your coalition celebrates and encourages the presence of ALL your community members in efforts to reduce substance abuse. Continued evaluation of competency helps maintain diverse participation, in addition to keeping the coalition appraised of cultural changes within the community.

Related Terms

Culture: The shared values, traditions, norms, customs, arts, history, folklore, and institutions of a group of people that are unified by race, ethnicity, language, nationality, or religion;
Competence: Acquisition of knowledge, skills, and experience necessary for the development and implementation of services to different groups served;
Cultural Sensitivity: An awareness of the nuances of one’s own and other cultures;
Cultural Diversity: Differences in race, ethnicity, language, nationality, or religion among various groups within a community. A community is said to be culturally diverse its residents include members of different groups.

(Adapted from the University of Kansas, Community Tool Box)

Dr. Eduardo Hernandez is the Deputy Director of Dissemination and Coalition Relations at CADCA’s National Coalition Institute. You may contact him at ehernandez@cadca.org.