ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses one approach to developing cultural competency in what at first glance appears to be a geographically small area of the United States, that is, Monmouth County, New Jersey. According to the US Census Bureau, New Jersey’s diverse population numbers 8.7 million and surpasses the national averages with regard to African American, Hispanic, and Asian populations. The seminar portion of the program incorporated working with different racial and ethnic groups, using culturally sensitive psychotherapy treatment models as well as highlighting the experiences of linguistic minorities, immigrants, and different races living within the United States. The cultural competence program gave the reader an opportunity to develop an in-house seminar series, Grand Rounds for Behavioral Health, that was relevant to the overall staff’s training. In today’s world, cultural competence is not only a moral and ethical issue but an economic one as well.
