The Georgetown University National Center for Cultural Competence (NCCC) Announces COP States
The Georgetown University National Center for Cultural Competence (NCCC) received a by five-year Cooperative Agreement from the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AIDD), Administration on Community Living, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to implement a Community of Practice (CoP). The goal of the CoP is to increase 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. 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.
All applicants participated in a competitive process to be considered for the CoP. Each applicant was required to: (a) designate a Transformation Leadership Team (mandatory participants include the state DD entity, UCEDD, DD Council, P&A); and (b) make a five-year commitment to this system transformation initiative and to develop a transformation plan. In April 2017, the NCCC, in collaboration with AIDD, selected the following states and jurisdiction for membership in the CoP:
Arizona, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Indiana,
Michigan, New York, Utah, Vermont, Wisconsin
- Transformation Leadership Team – a six member team that is responsible for guiding state/ jurisdictional level cultural diversity and CLC efforts.
- § Transformation Facilitator – NCCC faculty member will be assigned to support states and jurisdiction to advance their cultural diversity and CLC journeys, achieve their stated goals, document benchmarks, and adhere to the timelines in their transformation plans.
- § CoP peer exchange, technical assistance, training – an array of shared learning experiences, consultation, technical assistance, training, and information exchange activities among the state/jurisdictional teams.
- § Transformation Forums – annual forums convened in Washington, D.C. designed to: create a vision and a transformation plan to be implemented over time at either the system and/or program levels; and enhance knowledge and skills to lead complex behavioral, organizational, and system change that promotes cultural diversity and advances and CLC
- § Quarterly Peer Exchange and Learning Forums – web-based forums and password protected interface focused on emerging themes and their implications for policy and practice, and salient topics relevant to the interest and needs of state/jurisdictional teams.
- Consultant Pool – a cadre of subject matter consultants that can provide expertise on unique issues, specific populations, or other areas of interest and need to state/jurisdictional teams.