Cultural Competencies

CULTURAL COMPETENCIES

We value the importance of culture in the delivery of our services.

We give particular attention to the needs of underserved and racial/ethnic groups, and the integration of cultural attitudes, beliefs, education and training, and workplace environments.

It is here that we seek to pay close attention to identify “cultural bias” and offer best practices, creating standards in strategic planning and channel development.

What is Cultural Competencies?

(taken from Cultural Competencies online - CEOServices@culturalcompetence2.com)

Cultural Competence is the identification and development of skills by individuals and systems to live and work with, educate and serve diverse individuals and communities.

It is the willingness and ability of a system to value the importance of culture and culture competencies in the delivery of services to all segments of the population.

It is the use of a systems perspective which values differences and is responsive to diversity at all levels of an organization, i.e., policy, governance, administrative, workforce, provider, and consumer/client.

Cultural Competence is developmental, neighborhood-community focused, family oriented, and culturally relevant.

Culturally Competent activities include developing skills through training, using self-assessment tools, and implementing goals and objectives to ensure that governance, administrative policies and practices, and clinical skills and practices are responsive to diversity within the populations served.

In particular, it is:

  • the attention to the needs of underserved and racial/ethnic groups, and the integration of cultural attitudes, beliefs, and practices into diagnosis and treatment, education and training, and workplace environments.
  • the continuous promotion of skills, practices and interactions to ensure that services are culturally responsive and competent.

We support the advancement of “cultural competencies” through three main stages presented by Dr. Delores C.S. James, Unviersity of FL:

  • developing awareness
  • acquiring knowledge, and
  • developing and maintaining cross-cultural skills.

An example of of our cross-cultural competencies rather than monocultural competencies are the MPA-Milwaukee Professionals Associations that will be developed during the Smart Growth 5-Year Signature Plan (2005–2010).

Our cross-cultural competencies is “international in scope”; e.g., microcredit financing, susu, tontines.

DIAMONDS in the Rough Initiative

CN-CFNBA/Campaign Neighborhood – CFNBA has selected Barber & Cosmetology as the first GROWTH business for the CN-CFNBA Smart Growth 5-Year Signature Plan (2005–2010).

It is part of the DIAMONDS in the Rough Initiative – A five-month pilot to create an infrastructure that will be a catalyst for connectivity to resources for self-sustainability of neighborhoods in Milwaukee.

The Barber and Cosmetology GROWTH business is assisted through the MPA-BC/Milwaukee Professionals Association Barber & Cosmetology Group. Through the leadership, organizing and advocacy of MPA-BC licensed managers and practitioners of hair, skin and nails will forge a linked industry for quality of life and economic development in Milwaukee.

Cultural Competency Tenets
In addition to committed licensed practitioners, a cultural competency business has four other identifiers. They are:
1. “Historic presence” in Milwaukee neighborhoods
- valued by neighborhood consumers
- entrepreneurship from the neighborhood
- employment from the neighborhood
- recognized by the Department of Labor

2. Horton Hears a Who philosophy - “all-for-one and one-for-all” participant.

3. DIAMONDS in the Rough Initiative – 5-month pilot participant.

4. Grow Wisconsin - Invest in People
Specific funding and resource planning is the emphasis of Governor Jim Doyle’s Grow Wisconsin - Invest in the People plan.

The Grow Wisconsin plan is sought to be the major underwriter for the DIAMONDS in the Rough Initiative.

According to WI Department of Regulations and Licensing, there are 16,570 Barber & Cosmetology Managers and 20,717 Barber & Cosmetology Practitioners in the State of Wisconsin. We are in the process of crunching these numbers for planning purposes.

U.S. Employment Outlook
According to the Department of Labor (May, 2008), “Overall employment of barbers, cosmetologists, and other personal appearance workers is projected to grow slightly faster than the average for all occupations.

Opportunities for entry level workers should be favorable, while job candidates at high-end establishments will face keen competition.”

The five-month state strategy session workshops/seminars were designed to help create a catalyst network of at least 20 businesses.

For more about the Barber and Cosmetology efforts, go to:

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Last edited by Mary.   Page last modified on July 13, 2008

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