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Toward a Culturally Competent Health Education Workforce 177

Training Recommendations for Professional Development
A wide array of training approaches and topics are used throughout this country to
help professionals develop cultural competence. Examples are presentations about

specific cultures and overviews of culture - specific resources, use of language assis-

tance services, development of cultural awareness and sensitivity, cross - cultural com-
munication methods, and training specific to epidemiological and patient - centered

assessments. However, evidence - based research is needed to distinguish between
effective and less effective training approaches (OMH, 2004).
Doyle and Faucher (2002) reviewed the literature and compiled a list of general
recommendations for health care professionals who wish to become more culturally
competent in their interactions with clients. These general guidelines begin with a rec-
ommendation to become familiar with the community in which a client lives and the
general cultural norms of the individual client. This can be accomplished by visiting
with key informants and gatekeepers who know the community well, attending impor-
tant community celebrations and other events, asking open - ended questions about
community concerns and quality of life, and identifying community capacities that
affect wellness in the community. Developing effective communication skills and
establishing community rapport (topics addressed in more detail in Chapter Eight ) are
key to developing community trust. Patience, consistency, and long - term commitment
to a community can serve as a platform for professional development on the job.
Luquis and Pérez (2005) used the Inventory for Assessing the Process of Cultural
Competence Among Healthcare Professionals - Revised to assess the cultural compe-
tence levels of 455 health educators from across the United States. They discovered
that most of the respondents were operating at a level of competence known as “ cul-
tural awareness, ” which is characterized by “ sensitivity to the values, beliefs, and
practices of different ethnic and cultural groups ” (p. 159). Approximately one - third
were deemed “ culturally competent, ” which was characterized as being “ culturally
sensitive . . . and able to respond to the needs of other groups ” (p. 159). When the sam-
ple was narrowed to only 203 school health educators (Luquis & Pérez, 2006), the
results were similar except that only 20 percent of respondents scored in the culturally
competent category. In analyses of both data sets, the researchers noted that respon-
dents who had completed two degrees in health education were more culturally com-
petent than those who had completed only one degree in health education. In addition,
competence rates were higher among those who had attended cultural diversity train-

ing programs within the past three years. These findings serve as an important reminder
that university health education programs in general may already contain some impor-
tant diversity - oriented learning opportunities and that when cultural diversity training
becomes a deliberate focus, competency outcomes increase.

CONCLUSION
Students and professionals who desire to achieve an effective level of cultural compe-
tence should avoid the pitfall of feeling overwhelmed by the task. When they characterize

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