Cultural And Linguistic Responsiveness, according to the National Center for Culturally Responsive Educational Systems (NCCREST), “is the ability to learn from and relate respectfully with people of your own culture as well as those from other cultures.”

Cultural Competence has been defined by Cross, Bazron and Isaacs as a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes, and policies that come together in a system, agency or among professionals and enable that system, agency, or those professions to work effectively in cross-cultural situations.

Racial equity involves focusing on the issue of race and the systemic inequities that create a system where health inequities can flourish and be maintained as part of a larger system of racial advantage and disadvantage. Many have argued that race is not a biological reality, but rather a construct created by U.S. society (a social construct). Others point out that even if race is a social construct, it has real and measurable outcomes. Because many people are uncomfortable discussing race, it is often subsumed as one of many factors in health inequity. Racial equity would mean attaining health equity without regards to race.

We may think we know what Social Justice is. But I suspect that individuals and organizations, if asked to define it on the spot, may struggle. Social Justice is often defined as the equitable sharing of burdens and rewards in society. Social injustice is one of several root causes of inequities in the health and the wellbeing of individuals.

Several organizations and institutions provide their own definitions for social justice:
The United Nations defines it as “the fair and compassionate distribution of the fruits of economic growth.”
The National Association of Social Workers defines it as: “the view that everyone deserves equal economic, political, and social rights and opportunities. Social workers aim to open the doors of access and opportunity for everyone, particularly those in greatest need.”

And The Center for Economic and Social Justice defines it as: “Social justice encompasses economic justice. Social justice is the virtue which guides us in creating those organized human interactions we call institutions. In turn, social institutions, when justly organized, provide us with access to what is good for the person, both individually and in our associations with others. Social justice also imposes on each of us a personal responsibility to work with others to design and continually perfect our institutions as tools for personal and social development.”

I developed The Mancini Method for Cultural and Linguistically Responsive Care curriculum to provide any healthcare serving system, department, division, or agency with a roadmap of what it takes to achieve Cultural and Linguistic Responsiveness, placing Racial and Social Justice as part of the foundation for this work and a process to help you get there.

Achieving Cultural and Linguistic Responsiveness is a journey, for an individual and for a system, department, division, agency, or organization. The good news is that by becoming culturally and linguistically responsive everyone wins: your clients and their families will be better served which will in turn provide better organizational outcomes; the state will also win by saving money from individuals not having to access the more costly services like state hospitals or emergency departments.

I hope you can see the value of this curriculum and allow us to help you implement its methodology to help you be successful.

Sincerely,

Pierluigi Mancini PhD
CEO