1. Cultural and Linguistic Competency
District of Columbia
No Wrong Door System
Cultural and Linguistic Competency
Background
2014: NWD planning process
2015: ACL awarded NWD implementation grant ( )
Lead Agency: Department on Disability Services
Partnering agencies: DBH, DCOA, DHS, DHCF, DMHHS
Other Partners: ACL, DDC, GUCEDD, NASDDDS, NCCC, SDA, UMKC

2. DC No Wrong Door Initiative
Vision
The District envisions a coordinated “No Wrong Door” system, which is person/family centered and linguistically and culturally responsive that provides easier access to people with disabilities, older adults, and their families who are in need of Long-Term Supports and Services (government and community-based), regardless of the point of entry into the system.
LTSS – Services and supports people may need in order to live well in the community.  For people of all ages who need help with everyday tasks such as personal care, transportation, medical care, meal preparation, to name a few.

3. DC No Wrong Door Initiative
Cultural and Linguistic Competence
System Level Needs
A defined and agreed upon cultural and linguistic framework
Leadership to establish, implement, and monitor necessary policy directives for CLC
Require consistency with best and promising CLC practices
Identification of underserved populations and awareness of sub-cultures within any racial or ethnic group receiving services
Georgetown University’s Center for Cultural Competence conducted a CLC analysis across 5 LTSS agencies for intake
Examining, understanding, and responding to the broad range of individuals in the District who have communication needs as an overarching philosophy, which is undergirded by policy, structures, practices, and resources, makes for a cohesive and systematic approach to long-term services and supports. This applies to written documents, telecommunications including audio-recordings and voice prompts, websites, face-to-face interactions, and other modes of communication.
Reference: Georgetown University National Center for Cultural Competence – Structured Interviews and Focus Groups on Embedding Cultural and Linguistic Competence into the NWD Project: Final Summary and Recommendations

4. DC No Wrong Door Initiative
NWD Subcommittees
Cultural and Linguistic Competency
Info.
Technology
(future)
Stakeholder Engagement
(via Learning Community)
Person-Centered Thinking
Leadership Council designated representatives from the 5 core agency partners to participate in an inter-agency NWD/CLC subcommittee. It is co-led by DBH & DDS. Meets monthly
Purpose: Advise and make recommendations to the NWD Leadership Council and NWD project management team on embedding cultural and linguistic competency as it relates to policies, practices, resources, and structures at the “front door” in accessing long term supports and services (LTSS).
Partners: Georgetown University National Center for Cultural Competence (NCCC) and UMKC
Inter-Agency Subcommittee Members:
Dept. of Behavioral Health, Disability Services, Human Services, Office on Aging, Inter-Agency Council on Homelessness, Developmental Disabilities Council, Veterans Affairs, DPR

5. DC No Wrong Door Initiative
Cultural and Linguistic Competence
System Level Outcomes
Shared Conceptual Framework and Definition for cultural and linguistic competency across LTSS agencies.
Sustainable District policies, practices, and systems embedding cultural and linguistic competency across LTSS agencies.
CLC guides, tools, resources, training, coaching to equip government staff
Increase outreach and access to LTSS to underserved populations
Challenge: CLS is a continuum that requires a significant amount of knowledge, awareness, and skills at the individual level and CLC policies, resources, and structures at the organizational level to support government staff to better support diverse populations in need of LTSS.
Strategy: Focus on CLC capacity-building to support LTSS front door personnel and staff and by developing guiding documents and revising District agency policy, practices, and structures to embed CLC

7. Next steps with CLC subcommittee:
Introduce the LifeCourse Principles
Integrated STAR and LifeCourse Trajectory (Logic Model) for Strategic planning
Use the STAR to identify what we have and what we need

8. We’ve begun to apply LifeCourse into Strategic Planning for embedding CLC. Helping us to reflect on how we are we thinking about strategies, policies, and supports? How can we achieve transformation change? What does success look like?
Transformation change:
Fundamental reordering of thinking, beliefs, culture, relationships, and behavior.
Turns assumptions inside out and disrupts familiar rituals and structures
Encourage co-creative partnerships
Apply the LifeCourse principles: 3 buckets (discovery & navigation (info. education/skill building), connecting and networking, goods & services)
The Vision is a good reminder of what we are working toward

9. Upcoming NWD/CLC Activities
CLC Subcommittee meetings -- applying LifeCourse Principles
CLC Subcommittee co-chairs participating in a CLC leadership training
Leadership Council and Executive Leadership Engagement with CLC
Collaboration with DC Supporting Families Community of Practice
DC participating in National Cultural/Linguistic Community of Practice
DC Intake Summit across 5 core NWD partner agencies (DDS, DBH, DHS, DHCF, DCOA)

10. THANK YOU! Vivian Guerra
Lead, Outreach and Cultural/Linguistic Competency
District of Columbia No Wrong Door Initiative
Phone:
Website: