Sign up for Updates
Cultural Competence in the Strategic Prevention Framework
Cultural competence describes the ability of an individual or organization to interact effectively with people of different cultures.
September Johnson, Alcohol and Other Drug Specialist at Wesleyan University, discusses the role cultural competence plays within the steps of the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF).
"Cultural competency is often used as a buzzword," September said, "but it is an important concept to integrate into your prevention work to help ensure that your students feel welcomed and at home on campus." It needs to be woven into all of the SPF steps.
What does cultural competence look like?
It's "being mindful of all specific student communities such as students of color and students in the LGBTQIA community while also taking a look to see who is at your table that you get advice and feedback from," she explains.
"Make sure you are engaging with as many specific student communities as possible to inform your substance use prevention efforts."
In addition, exploring your own personal biases is also important to do when developing a culturally competent program.
Watch September talk more about cultural competence below.