Describes organizational cultural and linguistic competence as defined by the National Center for Cultural Competence (NCCC) at Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development. Organizational cultural competence requires that organizations have a defined set of values and principles, value and adapt to diversity, conduct self-assessments, manage the dynamics of difference, and acquire cultural knowledge. NCCC links this to linguistic competence through an organization’s ability to communicate and convey information effectively. NCCC provides guidelines for establishing a culturally and linguistically competent organization including (1) creating structure, (2) defining values and philosophy, (3) developing a model, (4) being aware of community demographics, and (5) assessing family and youth satisfaction. Legal mandates that support linguistic competence are identified, and principles guiding self-assessment are outlined; resources and tools for facilitating cultural and linguistic competence are described, with links provided to additional websites.
