Cultural Competency Program for Disaster and Emergency Management
Learn how to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate services (CLAS) in disaster or emergency mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery in this free, online training.
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Overview
Welcome to the Cultural Competency Program for Disaster and Emergency Management!
How do you use this website?
Take a look at the blue bars at the top of this page.
- On the first bar, clicking your username gives you a menu for viewing your Course completion progress, updating your profile, and logging out.
- On the second bar, clicking Program gives you a link for each of the Courses. Clicking Resources gives you links for the Glossary, References, and Resource Library.
Within a Course, go to the next page by clicking the Next button at the bottom right of each page. You'll also see a menu on the left for navigating to different parts of that Course.
You are required to complete Course 1 in full before going to Courses 2, 3, or 4. We recommend completion of all four courses to gain the full context of the knowledge and skills necessary for CLAS in disaster and emergency management.
Credit Information
Click on each box below for more information.
The Indian Health Service (IHS) Division of Oral Health is an accredited sponsor of continuing education under the American Dental Association Continuing Education Recognition Program (CERP). The IHS awards CDE credit to oral health professionals working in IHS, tribal or IHS-funded urban dental programs only. If you are not with IHS, tribal or IHS-funded urban dental programs, you will NOT be able to submit this e-learning activity for consideration for CDEs. ADA CERP is a service of the American Dental Association to assist dental professionals in identifying quality providers of continuing dental education. ADA CERP does not approve or endorse individual courses or instructors, nor does it imply acceptance of credit hours by boards of dentistry.
Program Goal
Cultural and linguistic competency is an important way to provide high-quality services to people from diverse backgrounds. The goal of this e-learning program is to equip disaster and emergency management personnel with the knowledge, skills, and awareness to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate services (CLAS) in disaster or emergency mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery to all individuals and communities.
Target Audience
- Paramedics
- AEMTs
- EMTs
- First Responders
- Psychiatrists and Psychologists
- Social Workers
- Dentists, Dental hygienists, and Dental assistants
- Any disaster or emergency management personnel interested in learning more about culturally and linguistically appropriate services (CLAS)
Learning Objectives
After completing this continuing education activity, participants will be able to:
- Describe the relationship between cultural identity and disaster or emergency vulnerability.
- Understand how the cultural identities of the people you serve can affect how they experience a disaster or emergency.
- Explain how understanding the social factors that contribute to vulnerabilities in your community can help you build community members’ capacity to prepare for a disaster or emergency.
- Describe how understanding preferred communication channels and trusted messengers can help you reach community members before a disaster or emergency occurs.
- Explain how basic needs are tied to one’s cultural identity.
- Identify ways to tailor physical health services in order to provide the best care possible to all survivors.
- Identify cultural considerations to keep in mind when assessing survivors’ behavioral health needs.
- Describe how to engage the whole community in disaster or emergency recovery planning to ensure an inclusive recovery process.
- Understand how to rebuild communities equitably so that all community members benefit from recovery activities.
How to Obtain Credit
For successful completion of this activity and to obtain contact hours, the learner must register on this site, review the individual modules/content, obtain a minimum Post-test score of 80%, and complete the Course evaluation. Certificates and statements of credit are immediately available on the My Progress page.
Original Release Date: July 30, 2024
Expiration Date: July 30, 2025
Riikka Salonen, MA
Managing Director, Health Equity
BCT Partners
C. Godfrey Jacobs, BA
Subject Matter Expert
BCT Partners
Kaitlin Delenick, MPH
Health Information Specialist
General Dynamics Information Technology
Jennifer Kenyon, BA
Subject Matter Expert
BCT Partners
Emma Blackson, MPH, MS
Senior Research Analyst
BCT Partners
Amanda Gashel, MSN, RN
Technical Project Manager
General Dynamics Information Technology
Kim R. Allen
Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services
Dennis P. Andrulis, PhD, MPH
The University of Texas Health Science Center of Houston, School of Public Health, Dell Center for Healthy Living
Dustun Ashton
National Disaster Medical System
Dahna Batts, MD, FACEP
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Ivonne Cameron, MPA, NRPP, PMP
ISE International LLC
Angela Charles
Washington, DC Department of Human Services
CDR Elizabeth DeGrange, MFS, MSM
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Commissioned Corps Headquarters, Readiness and Deployment Branch
LCDR Roberto C. Garza, MPH, MPA
National Disaster Medical System
Daniel Gerard, MS, RN, NRP
Alameda Fire Department; International Association of EMS Chiefs
Howard Gwon, MS, CHEC
Center for Health Securities, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; Witt O'Brien's; and BCPI
Shannon Hastings, MPH, CHES
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Hyejin Hickey
Defense Language and National Security Education Office
Chase Holleman, LCSW, LCAS
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
CAPT R. Andrew (Andy) Hunt, MSW, LICSW
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Indian Health Service
Sandy Hunter, NRP, PhD
Wake Technical College
Maggie Jarry, MDiv, MS
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Kenneth D. Johnson, JD
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights
CDR Curi Kim, MD, MPH
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Refugee Resettlement
Cheryl Levine, PhD
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Office of Policy and Planning
Francis G. Lu, MD
University of California-Davis
Charlotte Porter, MPH
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Annelle Primm, MD, MPH
All Healers Mental Health Alliance
John C. Scott, MS
Center for Public Service Communications
Mike Taigman, MA, EMT-P
First Watch
Julio Dicent Taillepierre, MS
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
CAPT Matthew Weinburke, DrPH, MPH, REHS, MCHES®, MLT(ASCP)CM
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Commissioned Corps Headquarters, Commissioned Officer Training Academy
Bernice Zaidel
Federal Emergency Management Agency
CAPT David Wong, MD, FAAP
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health
Juliet Bui, MPA, MSW
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health
Violet Woo, MS, MPH
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health
Leslie Quiroz, MA
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health
Lindsey O'Keefe, MA, MS
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health
COURSES
- An introduction to culturally and linguistically appropriate services (CLAS)
- Providing CLAS in the preparedness phase of a disaster or emergency
- Providing CLAS in the response phase of a disaster or emergency
- Providing CLAS in the recovery phase of a disaster or emergency