Cultural Competence

This document outlines the 15 core competencies that facilitate implementation of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Strategic Prevention Framework and the skills required to support the process.

Traditional diversity training does not significantly contribute to increases in managerial diversity over time. However, establishing a structure of responsibility, such as a diversity task force is effective. Encouraging personal mentors also helps increase managerial diversity, according to a study published in the American Sociological Review.

A toolkit to help Native communities protect their children from the harm caused by drinking alcohol during pregnancy is now available from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recently announced the Native American Center for Excellence, Prevention Technical Assistance Resource Center—a first-of-its-kind national Native American-run project to promote effective substance abuse prevention programs in Native American communities throughout the United States.

The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), in cooperation with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA); the National Coalition Institute (NCI); White Bison Inc., and representatives of the Cherokee Nation will provide an opportunity for coalitions operating on Native American reservations, Urban Indians, Native Alaskans, and those that represent Native peoples living in other areas, to gain an understanding of the Drug Free Communities (DFC) grant application process. Drug Free Communities is a Federal grant program that uses a community coalition approach to strengthen communities to prevent youth drug use.

New research published in the Journal of Immigrant Minority Health supports the theory that acculturation discrepancies exist and may impact Hispanic adolescents’ substance use behaviors. Acculturation refers to a process where individuals from a particular culture adopt the norms, values, attitudes and behaviors of individuals from another culture. Typically acculturation occurs when a person’s culture of origin gradually changes to become more similar to that of the host society or dominant culture, but the process can go both ways.

Research, published in the Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, indicated that higher levels of perceived family cohesion may help decrease substance use among Hispanic adolescents. Acculturation discrepancies exist and may account for increases in Hispanic adolescents' risk of substance use. According to the study, Hispanic adolescents were more likely to report cigarette smoking, alcohol, and marijuana use when they perceived their own orientation toward American culture to be greater than that of their parents.

This primer provides anti-drug coalitions with a basic understanding of cultural competence and its importance in achieving substance abuse reduction that is effective and sustainable. If you know how to include all major sectors of your community in your efforts to develop a plan to create population-level change in community rates of substance abuse, then you likely will increase your chances of success.