Cultural Competence
The Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development (GUCCHD), through its National Center for Cultural Competence (NCCC), is recognized as a national and international leader in the design, implementation, and evaluation of cultural and linguistic competence in a broad array of systems and organizations.
Our values, traditions, norms, politics, technologies, religiosity, and spirituality are culturally laden. Culture influences beliefs and practices about health and well-being, and how we communicate and interact with each other. Culture provides the identity for individuals, groups, and societies and is embedded in every aspect of life. The capacity to address culture and language at the individual, organizational, and system levels is an indispensable aspect of the current and future workforce, both nationally and globally.
Cultural competence and linguistic competence are essential areas of knowledge and skills for professionals in education, health care, behavioral health care, human services, business and a host of other public and private sectors.
We utilize the following approaches to support organizations and individuals in their cultural and linguistic competence journeys:
- provide training, technical assistance, and consultation,
- contribute to knowledge through publications and research,
- create tools and resources to support health, mental health, and social services systems and providers, and
- support leadership to promote and sustain cultural and linguistic competence.

Selected Activities
Research and Evaluation
Technical Assistance
Workforce Development
- Embedding Cultural Diversity and Cultural and Linguistic Competence ... A Guide for UCEDD Curricula and Training Activities
- Leadership Institute for Cultural Diversity and Cultural and Linguistic Competence … a catalyst for change in networks supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Selected Resources
The NCCC has a wealth of publications, tools, checklists, and curricula resources several of which are highlighted below.
Community and Clinical Services
Research and Evaluation
- Haywood, S., Goode, T., Gao, Y., Smith, K., Bronheim, S., Flocke, S., Zyzanski, S. (2014) Psychometric - Evaluation of a Cultural Competency Assessment Instrument for Health Professionals. Clinical Medicine.
Technical Assistance
Workforce Development
- Cultural and Linguistic Competence Health Practitioner Assessment
- Cultural and Linguistic Competence Checklists for MCH Training Programs
- Mentoring – an Evidence-based Strategy to Increase the Number of Students and Faculty from Racial and Ethnic Groups Underrepresented in Maternal and Child Health Training Programs
- Promoting Cultural Diversity and Cultural and Linguistic Competency: Self-Assessment Checklist for Personnel Providing Services and Supports to LGBTQ Youth and their Families