Benefits of CCDI

Practicing cultural competency and valuing diversity and inclusion can benefit individuals and organizations in many ways.  Below you will find potential benefits of CCDI that may apply to individuals and/or organizations.  The following is not an exhaustive list.

Cultural Competency Improves Quality of Services by

  • Ensuring that services reach and are accessible to those who need them 1
  • Increasing the effectiveness of services and interventions by honoring clients of all cultures and identities 2
  • Fostering a sense of safety and belonging among clients 3
  • Making services more strategic and, therefore, more cost-effective 4
  • Helping organizations and providers remain relevant by offering services that meet the needs of an increasingly diverse world 5
  • Enhancing communication and the accessibility of services by attending to the language needs of clients and the community 6
  • Developing providers’ and organizations’ decision making which can result in more successful interventions and effective helping relationships 7

Cultural Competency Fosters Respect, Creativity & Productivity by

  • Empowering organizations, providers, clients, and the community through education and connection 8
  • Encouraging providers and organizations to effectively and respectfully meet the increasingly multicultural needs of clients, the community, and the world at large 9
  • Increasing creativity, productivity and the breadth of perspective by diversifying who is involved in planning and delivering services 10
  • Helping organizations value and appreciate clients, employees, and partners by teaching the value of diversity 11
  • Cultivating a sense of community and connection 12

Cultural Competency Promotes Justice by

  • Deepening individuals’ knowledge and understanding of themselves and others through self-awareness and critical self-reflection 13
  • Enhancing individuals’ and organizations’ knowledge and understanding of cultures, identities, power and privilege, and encouraging them to share that knowledge with others 14
  • Expecting individuals and organizations to interact with all people in a thoughtful and respectful manner 15
  • Emboldening individuals and organizations to advocate for people who are marginalized, oppressed, and discriminated against 16
  • Encouraging individuals and organizations to challenge imbalances of power and systems of oppression 17
  1. https://store.samhsa.gov/shin/content/SMA14-4849/SMA14-4849.pdf & https://www.socialworkers.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=51nqVQj68W0%3d&portalid=0
  2. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hzsYldC5e4dRlielKSPr4dvBY6U9Jrd5g4o6TKuO7hA/edit
  3. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hzsYldC5e4dRlielKSPr4dvBY6U9Jrd5g4o6TKuO7hA/edit
  4. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hzsYldC5e4dRlielKSPr4dvBY6U9Jrd5g4o6TKuO7hA/edit
  5. https://www.socialworkers.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=51nqVQj68W0%3d&portalid=0 & https://nccc.georgetown.edu/foundations/framework.php & http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/culture/cultural-competence/culturally-competent-organizations/main
  6. https://store.samhsa.gov/shin/content/SMA14-4849/SMA14-4849.pdf
  7. https://store.samhsa.gov/shin/content/SMA14-4849/SMA14-4849.pdf & https://www.dshs.wa.gov/sites/default/files/SESA/odi/documents/CultCompGuidebook22-1470.pdf
  8. https://doi.org/10.1177/1043659615592677
  9. https://store.samhsa.gov/shin/content/SMA14-4849/SMA14-4849.pdf
  10. https://store.samhsa.gov/shin/content/SMA14-4849/SMA14-4849.pdf & http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/culture/cultural-competence/culturally-competent-organizations/main
  11. https://www.socialworkers.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=51nqVQj68W0%3d&portalid=0
  12. http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/culture/cultural-competence/culturally-competent-organizations/main
  13. https://www.socialworkers.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=51nqVQj68W0%3d&portalid=0
  14. https://www.socialworkers.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=51nqVQj68W0%3d&portalid=0 & http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/culture/cultural-competence/culturally-competent-organizations/main
  15.   http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/culture/cultural-competence/culturally-competent-organizations/main & https://www.socialworkers.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=51nqVQj68W0%3d&portalid=0
  16. https://www.socialworkers.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=51nqVQj68W0%3d&portalid=0
  17. https://www.socialworkers.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=51nqVQj68W0%3d&portalid=0 & https://nccc.georgetown.edu/foundations/framework.php