Resource Diversity, Equity + Inclusion Race + Ethnicity

Enhancing Cultural Responsiveness in Social Service Agencies

This OPRE brief provides strategies for enhancing cultural responsiveness in social service agencies, focusing on improving services for diverse communities through organizational change, staff development, and culturally informed program design.

Organizations: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Planning, Research & Evaluation (OPRE), Insight Policy Research, Inc.

Authors: Sarah Giordano, Jennifer Edwards

Published Year: 2024

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The brief outlines a framework for building cultural responsiveness at the organizational, staff, and program levels.

It emphasizes continuous self-reflection, cultural humility, and the importance of incorporating community voices into service design and delivery. Specific strategies include culturally responsive hiring practices, flexible accountability systems, and embedding cultural competence into evaluation processes to better serve racially, ethnically, and culturally diverse populations.