1. July 12, 2005
Capacity Building and Cultural Competence When Working with Minority Populations
Fabricio Balcazar, Ph.D.
Yolanda Suárez, Ph.D.
Center on Capacity Building for Minorities with Disabilities Research
University of Illinois at Chicago
NCDDR-sponsored Webcast - November 16, :00 PM CST
Center for Capacity Building on Minorities with Disabilities Research

2. Conceptual Framework of the Research and Training Activities
Capacity
Building for
Program Evaluation
Cultural Awareness, Knowledge & Skills
Culturally
Competent
Rehabilitation
Services &
Research
Outreach and Dissemination

3. Capacity Building for Program Evaluation
Utilizes a participatory program evaluation model to actively involve consumers and agency staff in the process of identifying service needs, selecting program goals, developing a logic model for success, and implementing and evaluating change efforts to improve services.
(20 sites in 5 years)
PI: Yolanda Suárez
University of Illinois at Chicago

4. Our Participatory Capacity Building Process
July 12, 2005
Our Participatory Capacity Building Process
Participatory
identification of needs/concerns
(1)
CBO
Using data to improve services
(7)
Framing the issue/goal
(2)
CBO
Developing logic model
(3)
Interpreting/
reporting data
(6)
SEE SLIDE BEFORE/CHANGE NAMES OF ORGS
Documenting the impact of programs & services
(5)
Identifying evaluation methods & measures
(4) VR
ILC
2 CBOs
ILC
2 VR
CBO
Center for Capacity Building on Minorities with Disabilities Research

5. Capacity Building Domains
July 12, 2005
Capacity Building Domains
The domains are inter-related
They can be measured at individual and organizational levels of analysis (we are interested in both; most interested in organizational capacity building)
Center for Capacity Building on Minorities with Disabilities Research

6. Evaluation Capacity Building Activities
Collaborations with 9 organizations and their 13 grantees or affiliates, nationwide
A total of 22 organizations and 97 staff involved, some with staff from multiple offices/locations
More than 13 evaluation trainings conducted
Ongoing consultation and technical assistance with all sites
Intensive involvement
2+ contacts per month; often weekly
2 models
On site
Distance model with periodic on-site visits

7. Evaluation Capacity Building Outputs and Outcomes
Participants reported that training was very useful and that they were very satisfied on a 1-5 scale
Key concepts:
Outcomes framework: 4.48
Exercises:
Materials and handouts: 4.61
Usefulness of training: 4.63
Outcomes
Improvements in Knowledge: All of the 9 organizations have developed evaluation plans and are launching evaluations of their programs
Improvements in Practice: 4 of the 9 organizations are actively collecting data to inform program improvement
Improvements in Policy: 3 of the 9 organizations have built evaluation capacity building into their strategic planning and are working towards systems change

8. A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
FOR PROMOTING
CULTURAL COMPETENCE

9. What is Cultural Competence (CC)?
July 12, 2005
It is a process that allows individuals to accept, respect and work with others who are different from them
Cultural competence is the result of awareness of your own biases and knowledge of the factors that influence cultural differences and similarities
The process requires the development of skills, attitudes and behaviors that allow individuals to understand and interact effectively with people from other cultures.
Center for Capacity Building on Minorities with Disabilities Research

10. Our Cultural Competence Model
Based on Papadopoulos & Lee (2002)
Presents a separated analysis of the components and the factors that influence CC
The components reflect the circularity of the process of becoming CC
The factors reflect the differences and similarities within ethnic and cultural groups

12. RACE FACTORS THAT IMPACT CULTURAL DIVERSITY
KNOWLEDGE OF RIGHTS & SERVICES
SENSE OF ENTITLEMENT
LANGUAGE
BELIEFS / VALUES
SOCIAL IDENTITY

13. Characteristics of the Model
July 12, 2005
The process is on-going
The components are intertwined
The process is contextual
The process is developmental
The process produces multiple outcomes
The process is experiential
Goal setting is necessary to attain organizational change
Center for Capacity Building on Minorities with Disabilities Research

14. Cultural Competence Training Activities
20 trainings conducted
62 organizations (community-based organizations and VR offices)
Over 505 staff members 
Follow-along consultation and technical assistance related to agency goals for up to 6 months after training
44 organizations elected to set goals and participate in follow-up interviews
We successfully completed between 1 and 3 follow-up interviews with 35 of these organizations

15. Cultural Competence Training Outputs and Outcomes
July 12, 2005
Cultural Competence Training Outputs and Outcomes
Outputs
Very satisfied with training (Average= 4.83 on 1-5 scale)
Outcomes
Changes in practice – 135 goals to change practice(s) were set and maintained
Participants made progress toward goal accomplishment (55.5% of goals)
Participants accomplished goal (21.5% of goals)
Examples of goal accomplishment:
1 agency developed a collaboration with their state’s welfare to work program to hire bilingual staff as Para-professionals (Spanish & Somalia).
1 agency was successful in obtaining funding to produce the first ever Developmental Disability Diversity Newsletter.
1 agency hired 3 minorities in upper management positions.
Change in policy – 1 agency developed a policy to require health care professionals that want to be included on their preferred vendor list to attend at least one diversity/cultural competence training a year.
23% of follow ups still in process.
Center for Capacity Building on Minorities with Disabilities Research

16. Recommendations for Conducting Culturally Competent Research
July 12, 2005
Recommendations for Conducting Culturally Competent Research
Recognize that as cultural beings, we might hold attitudes and beliefs that can detrimentally influence our perceptions and interactions with individuals who are different from us (this is in part due to upbringing, negative past experiences, lack of experience with the group, media influences, lack of knowledge, stereotypes, and class differences).
Center for Capacity Building on Minorities with Disabilities Research

17. Recommendations (continued)
July 12, 2005
Recommendations (continued)
Comparative studies should be carefully conducted; avoid using white middle class data to set the standard for comparison.
Utilize multiple strategies for community entry (personal contacts, gate keepers, paraprofessionals, volunteer to help).
Center for Capacity Building on Minorities with Disabilities Research

18. Recommendations (continued)
July 12, 2005
Recommendations (continued)
4. Outreach should include multiple strategies, including direct community contact through paraprofessionals, radio and/or local newspaper announcements in the target population language (when available), and fliers and posters in local stores and agencies frequented by the target group.
Center for Capacity Building on Minorities with Disabilities Research

19. Recommendations (continued)
July 12, 2005
Recommendations (continued)
5. When not finding protocols and assessments used with the target community keep cultural appropriateness present in the development of all materials. Remember it is not enough to just translate materials and protocols.
Center for Capacity Building on Minorities with Disabilities Research

20. Recommendations (continued)
6. When utilizing strategies to ensure community input and active participation in research, ask gate keepers and paraprofessionals who represent the community best? and How do you assure community-wide representation?

21. Recommendations (continued)
July 12, 2005
Intervention programs and/or services developed for members of the majority culture should be carefully scrutinized before being used with minority groups.
Before reaching out to new populations, make an effort to improve the cultural competence of your research team with regards to the particular target group.
Make an effort to recruit multicultural staff (including students and/or paraprofessionals), since they improve your effectiveness in interacting with the community.
Center for Capacity Building on Minorities with Disabilities Research

22. Conclusions
Participatory evaluation is an effective strategy to improve the quality of services and outcomes for individuals with disabilities.
The process of participatory evaluation can change organizational culture.
Cultural competence is an ongoing challenge for researchers given the great diversity of our nation’s population.

23. Conclusions (continued)
Researchers can set up mechanisms to promote cultural competence among research teams through recruitment, training, exposure and engagements with diverse groups.
Effective outreach efforts require multiple channels of communication and the direct involvement of community members in the research team.

24. Conclusions (continued)
The Center is making speedy progress in meeting all of its original goals.
Next year, on July we will have our national conference and plan to edit a text book to influence the training of future professionals and researchers in the field.

25. References
American Psychological Association (2003). Guidelines on multicultural education, training, research, practice, and organizational change. American Psychologist, 58,
Balcazar, F. E. (2001). Strategies for reaching out to minority individuals with disabilities. The Research Exchange, 6(2), 9-13.
National Council on Disability (2003). Outreach and people with disabilities from diverse cultures: A review of the literature. Retrieved from