BRIEF DEFINITIONS

FAMILY-CENTERED CARE
Family-centered care is the process of ensuring that the ways in which services are organized and delivered meet the emotional, social and developmental needs of children and that their families are integrated into all aspects of the health care plan.  In family-centered care, the key to designing and implementing successful services is to base them on needs as identified by families rather than only on needs perceived by professionals.

CULTURAL COMPETENCE

Cultural Competence is defined as a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes, and policies that come together on a continuum in a system, agency, or individual that enable that system, agency, or individual to function effectively in trans-cultural interactions.  It refers to the ability to honor and respect beliefs, interpersonal styles, attitudes, and behaviors of families who are clients as well as the multicultural staff who provide services.  Systems and agencies need to incorporate these values at the levels of policy, administration, practice, and advocacy.


RESOURCES

Bishop, Kathleen Kirk;   Family/Professional Collaboration for Children with Special Health Needs and their Families; University of Vermont: Burlington VT., 1993, SPRANS Project
MCJ-507060 Call the National MCH Clearinghouse for free copies (703/821-8955 ext. 254)

Building Bridges-Lessons Learned in Interprofessional Collaboration (Year One); The Health Education Collaboration Project; Hawaii Medical Association.  For information call 808/536-7702.

Chronic Condition Management in the Primary Care Setting: A Provider's Resource Manual .  New Hampshire Partners in Health "Office Partners Project"; Hood Center, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center.  For information call 603/650-4419.

Jeppson, E., et al., Families as Advisors.  Institute for Family-Centered Care: Bethesda, MD.  For information call 301/652-0281.

Kahn, A.J. and Kamerman, S.B., Integrating service integration: An overview of initiatives, issues, and possibilities.  National Center for Children in Poverty, Columbia University School of Public Health: New York, 1992. For  information contact the National Center for Children in Poverty 54 Haven Avenue, New York, NY, 10032. (212/927-8793).

Malach, Randi, et.al.; Family Perspectives: Cultural/Ethnic Issues Affecting Children with Special Health Care Needs (Educational Fact Packets for Health and Human Service Providers); Southwest Communication Resources: Bernalillo, New Mexico, 1996.  SPRANS Project MCJ-355085. For information call 505/867-3396

Medical Home Project.  The American Academy of Pediatrics: Elk Grove Village, Illinois.  For information call 1-800/433-9016.

Roberts, R., et al., Developing Culturally Competent Programs for Families of Children with Special Needs, 2nd Edition, Georgetown University Child Development Center, Washington, D.C., 1990 (Monograph). For information call 202/687-5000

Randall, David E., Strategies for Working with Culturally Diverse Communities and Clients, Association for the Care of Children's Health: Bethesda, MD.  For information call  301/654-6549 or the National MCH Clearinghouse, 703/821-8955.

Strategies for Managed Care: An Update from the Committee on Child Health Financing: American Academy of Pediatrics.  For information call 1-800/433-9016.