Cultural Competence Archives - National Wraparound Initiative (NWI)

Research Suggests Racism Contributes to Childhood Obesity

September 24, 2023 | NWI

A large body of research connects racial discrimination to poor health outcomes, and a new study confirms these findings among children. The study found that children as young as 9 were more likely to meet the definition of obesity if they faced racism a year earlier.

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Utilizing Black Families’ Cultural Assets

May 13, 2022 | NWI

This publication is part of a broader effort to build a deeper understanding of the diversity of Black families, contextualize their experiences within systems and institutions, and produce evidence to inform policies and practices that promote their well-being in the twenty-first century.

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Racial-Ethnic Disparities in Wraparound

April 4, 2022 | NWI

Previous research has illustrated significant disparities in outcomes of non-Wraparound care on the basis of youths’ race-ethnicity. This study aimed to fill a research gap by examining disparities in outcomes for families receiving Wraparound care coordination within a system of care.

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Young Men of Color Present Their Research on Mental Health

February 24, 2022 | NWI

A cohort of Black and brown men 21 years and younger, undertook research based on the premise that they are best equipped to research their own community’s experience with mental health and make recommendations for effective change. The researchers conducted surveys, interviews and focus groups with peers about mental health.

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Evidence for Culturally Specific/Responsive Programs in Child Welfare

January 21, 2022 | NWI

Children and families of color are disproportionately represented in the child welfare system. This brief provides an overview of 10 culturally specific and two culturally responsive programs and services designed by tribal communities and communities of color and the evidence for each.

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A Year Into COVID-19: Mental Health, Suicide, and Black Youth

July 10, 2021 | NWI

The suicide death rate has been increasing faster among Black youth and young adults than among other racial/ethnic groups. This report discusses why this might be happening, and possible responses.

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Parenting in Racially and Culturally Diverse Adoptive Families

July 10, 2021 | NWI

This factsheet for families provides information to help families support their child in developing a healthy racial and cultural identity and live a vibrant multicultural life. It discusses the importance of examining thoughts and biases and preparing a child to live in a society where race has a major impact on individual lives.

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Disrupting the Impacts of Implicit Bias

June 13, 2021 | NWI

New studies confirm that people’s decisions and behavior are importantly influenced by biases they are not aware of. The best approach for interrupting implicit bias is likely not to try to extinguish individual biases — something research has demonstrated as difficult, if not impossible — but rather to keep those biases from shaping outcomes. Strategies for doing so are described in this article.

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Resources for Talking to Students About Racism and Police Killings

May 9, 2021 | NWI

To help educators think about how to discuss cases of racism, race-related violence, and police brutality and how to support Black students and other students of color who may be distraught by what they read and see in the media, Education Week has compiled some resources from its archives and elsewhere.

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Racial Disparities in Youth Incarceration Persist

March 15, 2021 | NWI

In an era of declining youth incarceration, Black and American Indian youth are still overwhelmingly more likely to be held in custody than their white peers.

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