National Research and Training Center (NRTC)
/Training and Education : Toolkit and Training on Assessing Cultural Competency in Peer-Run Mental Health Programs
Working collaboratively with the NAMI Support Technical Assistance and Resource (STAR) Center, the UIC Center developed a cultural competency toolkit for use by mental health peer-run programs and self-help groups. The toolkit is also applicable to traditional mental health and rehabilitation programs. The project involved the following components.
- A comprehensive review of existing tools for assessing cultural competency in human services organizations.
- A web-based survey of peer-run programs to determine their current needs and practices in delivering culturally competent services and supports.
- Focus groups and interviews with individuals from diverse backgrounds who attend or staff peer-run organizations.
- Creation of an organizational assessment and accompanying guide for administering the assessment and using it to create a multi-pronged organizational action plan.
- Formation of a multi-stakeholder, external expert review team to provide feedback on the assessment and administration guide.
- A pilot test of the toolkit by 9 peer-run organizations to determine the utility of the cultural competency assessment and action planning toolkit.
Download the Peer Program Cultural Competency Toolkit:
