Cultural Competence - ADAMH Board of Franklin County

Cultural Competence

ADAMH Understands Cultural Competence

ADAMH believes that cultural competency is achieved by translating and integrating knowledge about individuals and groups of people into specific practices and policies applied in appropriate cultural settings.

Cultural competence is defined as “a set of cultural behaviors and attitudes integrated into the practice methods of a system, agency, or its professionals, that enables them to work effectively in cross cultural situations.”

When professionals are culturally competent, they:

Establish positive helping relationships
Engage the client
Improve the quality of services they provide

The ADAMH system is accountable for assuring effective treatment to those in need; the adoption of cultural competency standards furthers the likelihood of effective treatment outcomes for all citizens.

Cultural Competence Checklist to Enable Success

Makes the environment more welcoming and attractive based on clients cultural mores.
Avoid stereotyping and misapplication of scientific knowledge.
Include community input at the planning and development stage.
Use educational approaches and materials that will capture the attention of your intended audience.
Find ways for the community to take the lead.
Be an advocate – strike a balance between community priorities and agency mission.
Hire staff that reflects client population.
Understand cultural competency is continually evolving.
Be creative in finding ways to communicate with population groups that have limited English speaking proficiency.
Scroll to Top