NORC Library

Webinar Materials Available - Cultural and Linguistic Competence: What it Means for Ombudsman Programs

June 10th, 2020

Materials

• Carol Scott slides
• Tawara D. Goode slides
• Sara (Socia) Gusler slides
• Joseph Rodrigues slides

Speakers: Tawara D. Goode, Assistant Professor and Director, Georgetown University National Center for Cultural Competence; Sara (Socia) Gusler, LBSW, Certified Local Long Term Care Ombudsman; and Joseph Rodrigues, California State Long-Term Care Ombudsman.

Cultural competence and linguistic competence are widely recognized by policy makers, researchers, educators, and health care practitioners as fundamental aspects of quality in health care. Cultural competence and linguistic competence are viewed as essential approaches for reducing health care disparities and for promoting equity by improving access, utilization, service delivery, and health status and outcomes. While the evidence suggests the efficacy of these approaches, many in health including long-term care continue to struggle with the full integration of cultural and linguistic competence into their policies, structures, practices, and procedures.

There are many definitions of cultural competence. The National Prevention Information Network, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, defines cultural competence as “the integration and transformation of knowledge about individuals and groups of people into specific standards, policies, practices, and attitudes used in appropriate cultural settings to increase the quality of services and produce better outcomes.”

This webinar offers definitions and conceptual frameworks for cultural competence and linguistic competence and examines what they mean for Ombudsman Programs, their staff, and volunteers. It also offers examples of two programs that provide professional development and training on implicit and explicit biases and the unique cultural issues related to underserved lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community within long-term care.

Participants will:

1. Define culture and cultural diversity. 
2. Examine the multiple dimensions of culture within the contexts of long-term care. 
3. Describe conceptual frameworks for cultural competence and linguistic competence. 
4. Apply these frameworks and concepts to the roles and responsibilities of the Ombudsman Programs, their staff, and volunteers. 
5. Cite examples of successful professional development and training efforts that address explicit and implicit biases within the socio-cultural context of long-term care.