Project Description:
Georgetown University National Center for Cultural Competence (NCCC) will establish a Diversity Community of Practice (CoP) with a goal of increasing the number, diversity, and capacity of formal and informal leaders to transform their state/territorial developmental disabilities (DD) systems by: (1) advancing and sustaining cultural and linguistic competence (CLC) systemically through changes in values, policy, structures, and practices; and (2) responding effectively to the growing cultural and linguistic diversity among people with DD and their families who reside in states, territories, and tribal nations. To accomplish this goal, the NCCC will build upon the activities of its successful Leadership Institute for Cultural Diversity and Cultural and Linguistic Competence A catalyst for change in networks supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The NCCC will draw from a rich array of resources developed by the Leadership Institute and integrate them into the CoP. The NCCC will partner with a broad array of constituents concerned with DD including self-advocates and their families, the three AIDD-funded state programs University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs), Protection and Advocacy (P&A) agencies, and Developmental Disabilities Councils (DD Councils); state/territorial government departments of developmental disabilities, health, behavioral health, and human services; state education agencies; Self Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE), Autistic Self Advocacy Network, and other self-advocacy and family advocacy organizations at the state/territorial levels; and national associations including the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services (NASDDDS), Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD), National Disability Rights Network (NDRN), and the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD). The NCCC will use widely accepted evidence-based diversity and CLC frameworks to underpin all project activities coupled with proven organizational and behavioral change strategies. The CoP has two primary objectives. Objective 1. Create and implement a multifaceted CoP designed to facilitate peer exchange, share information, provide technical assistance, and leverage resources to increase diversity and advance CLC in state/territorial DD systems. Objective 2. Integrate content from a proven curriculum (Georgetown Leadership Academy ) into a multi-state/territory CoP model designed to foster leadership for system transformation. The NCCC identified four salient outcomes. Outcome 1. Increase the number of individuals from culturally diverse groups with a core set of skills to lead state/territory CLC systems transformation. Outcome 2. Changes in state/territorial policies, processes, practices, and plans. Outcome 3. Expansion of a shared body of knowledge of policies, structures, practices, and lessons learned essential to advancing diversity and CLC in state/territorial DD systems. Outcome 4. A sustainable web-based portal comprised of CoP outcomes, lessons learned, and resources accessible to all states/territories and supported by a national network of DD organizations.
Target Audience:
Professionals and Para-Professionals, Family Members/Caregivers, Adults with Disabilities, Legislators/Policy Makers
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Racial or Ethnic Minorities, Limited English, Geographic Areas, Reservation, Territory
