From rural towns to dense urban settings, immigrants and other new resident families are bringing vibrant and valuable cultural practices and beliefs that enrich American communities. As our country becomes more diverse, changes in the cultural makeup of communities can challenge longstanding practices in many aspects of human services delivery. However, as service providers build their understanding of and responsiveness to the cultures of their newer customers, they can more equitably engage with and effectively serve them, leading to better outcomes for immigrant and refugee families and the local communities in which they reside.

What does it take for service organizations to successfully implement culturally competent and responsive services, what positive results can come from deploying them, and what are some of the secrets to success that field practitioners can share? In 2021, a project team from the Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group, the Migration Policy Institute and Higher Heights Consulting set out to lift up culturally competent and responsive 2Gen practices (interventions that work with both parents and children) that work for immigrant families by listening to the organizations doing this work.

There’s no doubt that developing these competencies is challenging and must be done intentionally, but two broad strategies arose from our survey, interviews, webinars, and peer advising and learning convenings: service organizations should provide culturally tailored services and recognize and design for cultural differences.

Read the full article about cultural competency by Chris Estes, Devin Deaton, Aparna Jayashankar and Margie McHugh at Migration Policy Institute.