CDS: Cultural Competence

Lesson Descriptions and Learning Objectives

CDS: Cultural Competence

This is a list of lessons found in this course with their description and learning objectives:

Lesson 1: CDS-E: What is Cultural Competence?

Lesson Description:

The United States is a multicultural society. Cultural responsiveness and the ability to work with people from all backgrounds are critical to quality direct support work. This lesson defines terms used throughout this course, including culture, worldview, race, ethnicity, diversity, multiculturalism, cultural competence, and affiliation. The learner is introduced to five important elements and a continuum of cultural competence. Through a series of reflections, the learner begins to identify their own cultural views.

Learning Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

  1. Explain why working toward cultural competence is a critical part of support work
  2. Define the following terms: culture, worldview, race, ethnicity, diversity, multiculturalism, cultural competence, and affiliation
  3. Describe five essential elements of cultural competence
  4. Describe the cultural competence continuum and state how it may be useful

Lesson 2: CDS-E: Understanding Your Own Culture

Lesson Description:

This lesson is a series of reflections about the roots of culture. Developing an awareness of your own culture is an important step in being culturally humble and responsive. The learner answers questions about their own background. There are opportunities to compare these responses to those of people from various backgrounds. Completing this lesson helps learners understand how culture and background can affect beliefs and behavior. It can broaden their perspective on the influence of culture in support settings.

Learning Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

  1. Describe why it is important to understand your own culture
  2. Identify how your culture affects daily choices and interactions
  3. Describe how your culture is similar to, and different from, other cultures and the implications for providing support

Lesson 3: CDS-A: The Culture of Support Services

Lesson Description:

This lesson explores concepts including cultural capital, institutional bias, disability culture, macro culture, and micro culture. Some key values and views that are part of the macro culture and the service system are reviewed. Learners explore differences in definitions and responses to disability based on culture. Some common service paradigms are reviewed through the lens of cultural competence.

Learning Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

  1. Define the terms cultural capital, dominant culture, institutional bias, macro culture, and micro culture
  2. Identify key values and views related to the macro culture of the United States
  3. Identify key values and views related to the culture of the human services delivery system
  4. Describe some differences in definitions and responses to disability based on culture
  5. Give an example of bias found in the use of jargon and disability labels
  6. Describe ways in which design and delivery of services can conflict with the culture of people receiving supports

Lesson 4: CDS-A: The Cultural Competence Continuum

Lesson Description:

The journey toward increasing cultural competence is never-ending. Cultural responsiveness is variable. This is true within individuals. It is true across organizations and communities. People and communities may be very advanced in their ability to respond to and include certain cultural groups. Or they may be culturally destructive toward others. In this lesson, each stage of cultural competence is explained and examples are given. There is an opportunity to identify where examples fall along the continuum. Opportunities to self-reflect are offered.

Learning Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

  1. Describe the main attributes at six points on a cultural competence continuum
  2. Match examples of behavior to a stage of a cultural competence continuum
  3. Identify personal areas of strength, challenge, and growth in your ability to be culturally responsive
  4. Identify at least three steps you will take to increase cultural competence in your role

Lesson 5: CDS-I: Culturally Competent Communication

Lesson Description:

Communication is a primary part of culture. Cultural differences in communication are common, even when people speak the same language. These differences appear in body language and etiquette, as well as in word choices. Learners will gain awareness of these differences. They will develop strategies for improving communication.

Learning Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

  1. Describe the purpose of communication
  2. Identify common methods or forms of communicating
  3. Recognize how culture can affect communication
  4. Demonstrate strategies for overcoming and preventing cultural barriers to communication

Lesson 6: CDS-A: Cultural Competence in Daily Support

Lesson Description:

Cultural responsiveness must be encouraged at all points in the cycle of support services. Learners will explore strategies and methods for adapting or revising assessments and common methods of gathering information from people receiving supports. Ideas for learning more about the worldviews of people from communities they would like to support better are explored.

Learning Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

  1. Describe methods of adjusting services to create more culturally responsive supports
  2. Describe methods for identifying the worldview of individuals receiving supports
  3. Identify methods of learning more about specific cultures and cultural or social groups

Lesson 7: CDS-A: DSP Roles in Culturally Competent Organizations

Lesson Description:

Organizations seeking to become more culturally competent need to enroll direct support professionals (DSPs) in this work. This lesson reviews how organizations can become more competent in supporting multiculturalism. The lesson describes how the five elements of cultural competence apply to organizations. It explores ways to assess strengths and areas of growth within the organization.

Learning Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

  1. Describe the importance of gaining cultural competence in organizations
  2. Describe how the five elements of cultural competence apply to organizations
  3. Describe some key components of effective assessments of cultural competence within organizations
  4. Give examples of organizational practice and policy that support increased cultural responsiveness
  5. Identify DSP roles in increasing cultural competence in their employer organizations