Cultural Competence Continuum
The Cultural Competence Continuum is a model with 6 levels of competence, the sixth level being the most desirable and the first being the least desirable.
1. Cultural Destructiveness- Attitudes, policies, practices, and structures in a system that are destructive to a cultural group.
2. Cultural Incapacity- The lack of capacity to respond effectively to diverse groups. Examples of this include not providing interpreters and discriminating against non-English speakers. Another example is systemic bias in areas such as hiring and promotion.
3. Cultural Blindness- People are viewed as the same, without considering that cultural differences are important to acknowledge. This can lead to patients being blamed for their circumstances with the justification that they are not doing their best to assimilate.
4. Cultural Pre-Competence- A healthcare organization is aware of their strengths and weaknesses and positive steps are being taken, but it is a very early stage and should be moved past.
5. Cultural Competence- The needs of diverse populations are being met. A sign of this is providers seeking self-assessment and training in the areas of linguistic and cultural competence. These actions put providers above simply having cultural awareness and sensitivity.
6. Cultural Proficiency- This the optimum level of cultural competency. Health service professionals and staff with cultural expertise are being hired and proper assessment and training efforts are taking place.
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