Achieving Cultural Competency in Behavioral Health and Criminal Justice

Hosted by The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center and Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), in participation with the Policy Research Associates 

Cultural competency is vital for successfully implementing criminal justice and behavioral health programs. But even though many behavioral health and criminal justice practitioners understand that cultural competency is important, they often don’t know what it means, what it entails, and/or how to achieve it. This field-wide webinar will (1) explain cultural competency and its varying components; (2) demonstrate its importance through real-life data and statistics; (3) explain when it’s necessary to be culturally competent; and (4) explain how to achieve cultural competency by focusing on racial equity. Participants will also be able to learn from cultural competency experts and program leaders who have successfully implemented cultural competency in various settings and programs.   

Speakers: 

• Lisa Maye, Senior Project Associate, Policy Research Associates 
• Melissa Stein, Senior Research Associate, Policy Research Associates
• Demetrius Thomas, Deputy Program Director, Behavioral Health Division, CSG Justice Center