Information for Families, Youth, and Communities
Cultural and linguistic competence requires shared power, reciprocal transfer of knowledge and skills, and respectful, trusting relationships with consumers, families, and communities.
For values and guiding principles on involving families and engaging communities, see the NCCC's Conceptual Frameworks / Models, Guiding Values and Principles.
Families, youth, and communities have a unique role in:
Addressing stereotyping, bias, discrimination, prejudice, and other ISMs.
Working toward health and mental health equity and social justice.
Youth, families, and communities can help build cultural and linguistical competency by:
- Advocating for themselves, other families, and communities
- Building and sustaining consumer demand for culturally and linguistically competent service systems
- Serving as a source of knowledge and support
- Learning
more about:
- Culture's impact on health and mental health
- Racial and ethnic health and mental health disparities
- Cross-cultural communication
- Health literacy
- Language access rights
- Participatory action research
- Partnering with providers, policymakers and other families
- Participating in advisory groups and governing boards
- Working as program staff and consultants
- Participating in research as full partners
NCCC Resources for Families
- Cultural Brokering
- Cultural Competence: It all starts at the Front Desk
- Cultural Competence Exchange newsletters
- Policy Brief: Cultural and Linguistic Competence in Family Supports
- Promising Practices
For all NCCC resources, see Resources & Tools
Other Resources
- In My Own Words, narratives in the storytellers’ own words, about their experiences growing up with disabilities or being part of a family affected by disabilities. Available in both English and Spanish. This is a feature from Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development, University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD).
- Health Articles a series of articles for parents of children with special health care needs, developed by Georgetown UCEDD, available in both English and Spanish.
- Child
and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative (CAHMI)
- Family Voices
- Federation
of Families for Children's Mental Health
- Flipping
the Script: White Privilege and Community Building,
from
The Center for Assessment and Policy Development
- Institute
for Family-Centered Care
- National
Alliance of Multi-Ethnic Behavioral Health Associations
(NAMBHA)
- National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI)
