Community Supports
Cultural Competence
New Jersey Statewide Network For Cultural Competence (NJSNCC)
The Elizabeth M. Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities, UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School participates in the coordination of the New Jersey Statewide Network for Cultural Competence.
The mission of the network is “to strengthen culturally competent services in the State of New Jersey for people with diverse needs, and to facilitate access by individuals, families, providers and professionals to these services. People with diverse needs are defined as “those with varying abilities and disabilities, cultures, languages, and social and health care needs.”
The network includes partners from the NJ Department of Human Services, the NJ Department of Health and Senior Services, and a variety of disability networks and organizations.
Three major projects of the network are:
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Coordination of a listserv to share ideas, resources, and training opportunities in cultural competence within New Jersey. Sign up for the listserv through http://www.nj.gov/njsncc
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An organizational survey to determine expertise in serving people with diverse needs from various cultural backgrounds;
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and the development of a web site about the network that would also house results from the survey.
The NJSNCC also sponsors forums three or four times a year with programs on topics related to cultural competence and opportunity for networking. The NJSNCC and The Boggs Center are sponsoring Train the Trainer events for people who are being asked to do cultural competence and diversity training in their communities and organizations. Organizations seeking a trainer or consultant in this area can utilize the NJSNCC listserv to find the appropriate trainers or consultants to support their initiatives.
Click here for the New Jersey Statewide Network For Cultural Competence brochure
Cultural Competence Collaborative/Cultural Awareness Days
The Elizabeth M. Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities is collaborating with other disability resource organizations in New Jersey, including our partners funded through the Administration on Developmental Disabilities (the New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities and New Jersey Protection and Advocacy, Inc.) and the UMDNJ Office of Multicultural Affairs, in the development and sponsorship of a series of cultural awareness days.
The cultural awareness days are training events for disability service providers to enhance their awareness of specific cultural communities in New Jersey.
The first of this series was held September 17-18, 2004, entitled La Communidad Latina y las Incapacidades: Enfrentando las Barreras (The Latin Community and Disabilities: Confronting the Barriers).
The second in the series, was held on June 15, 2007, entitled The South Asian Community and Disabilities: Raising Awareness, Facing Challenges, Accessing Resources.
The organizations who have been collaborating to sponsor these cultural awareness days are exploring similar events focusing on Asian Pacific and Middle-Eastern communities in New Jersey. If you are interested, please contact us bill.gaventa@umdnj.edu.
Click here for a brief paper description of The Boggs Center's involvement in cultural competence efforts, as presented at the Association of University Centers on Disabilities annual meeting.
For more information, contact Bill Gaventa at The Boggs Center, 732-235-9304 or email bill.gaventa@umdnj.edu .
Project Director/Contact: William Gaventa
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