On June 30 several members of Klingberg Family Centers’ Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) Initiative implementation team received a Certificate of Achievement from Health and Equity, LLC, and the Connecticut Network for Care Transformation. The certificate was in recognition of Klingberg’s work toward implementation of changes to advance the organization’s cultural competence. The award was given following Klingberg’s presentation of its progress before state authorities, cultural competence experts, and eleven other human service providers selected to participate in a statewide initiative funded by a grant from the federal Office of Health and Human Services.

Klingberg’s implementation team, which represented staff from all areas and levels within the organization, met weekly and participated in four statewide gatherings over the six-month period of the initiative. Following the administration of an agency-wide organizational assessment, Klingberg developed an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy and Health Equity Implementation Plan, made significant enhancements to its language interpretation capacities, and expanded its website’s Spanish interface.

In order to continue the organization’s growth in cultural competence the implementation team has become a standing Cultural Competence Committee. Also, Klingberg will develop a leadership mentoring program to increase diversity in its administrative positions and will increase the cultural competence training it provides to staff.