Cultural Competency 

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), cultural competence is the ability to interact effectively with people of different cultures. Cultural competence means to be respectful and responsive to the health beliefs and practices – and cultural and linguistic needs – of diverse population groups.
NAMI Northern Virginia is a member of the Cultural and Linguistic Competence (CLC) & Behavioral Health Equity Roundtable and works to support the 15 Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Service (CLAS) Standards. There are four themes and foundations respectively within the National CLAS Standards.
The four themes include:

1. Principal Standard (General CLC)
   
2. Governance, Leadership & Workforce Development
   
3. Communication & Language Assistance
   
4. Continuous Quality Improvement & Accountability
   

The four foundations include:

1. Effective
   
2. Equitable
   
3. Respectful
   
4. Understandable
   

You can learn more about applying a strategic framework related to cultural competence at: https://www.samhsa.gov/capt/applying-strategic-prevention/cultural-competence.