Best Practices in Outreach

Culture Matters

Hispanic & African-American

Reaching & Engaging with Hispanic Communities: A Research-Informed Communication Guide for Nonprofits, Policymakers, and Funders (pdf, 3.2 mb)
Focusing on the Hispanic community and the socioeconomic struggles related to a majority of that population—serves to help service providers and educators serve Latino children and their families by building communication strategies.

Native American

Cultural Awareness and Connecting with Native Communities (doc, 2.87 mb)
Written for Parent Centers and offering information on Tribal etiquette and culture. Includes suggestions for connecting with Native communities in ways that enhance communication and connectedness.

Introducing Your Parent Center to American Indian Communities (doc, 2.87 mb)
Written expressly for Parent Centers, suggests several “first steps” in approaching and building relationships or strengthening partnerships with Native American and Alaskan Native communities within regions served by Parent Centers.

General Multicultural

Achieving Cultural and Linguistic Competence in Information Dissemination Activities (pdf, 171 kb)
Lays out a process for the development phase of new publications, helping authors consider cultural and linguistic differences and representations. Guidelines are intended as a point of reference and stimulate careful consideration for anyone writing or producing information for any audience.

Minority Parent & Community Engagement: Best Practices and Policy Recommendations for Closing the Gaps in Student Achievement (pdf, 605 kb)
Best for PTI directors—looks at improving student achievement and helping close the achievement gap by increasing the inclusion and engagement of parents of color in their children’s education. Includes general practices for engaging minority parents and successful strategies for strengthening parent engagement.

National Center for Cultural Competence (Website)
Under the Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development, the NCCC is dedicated to supporting cultural competence with a focus on health care settings. Well-reviewed articles and resources inform policy for a broad audience. Information on various pages is recommended for Parent Center leadership training staff on cultural and linguistic competence.

Open Doors for Multicultural Families Professional Webinars: Working Effectively with Diverse Youth & Families in Transition webinar training (Webinars)
Five webinars focusing on families of children with special health care needs and disabilities; includes handouts and checklists. Some data specific to Washington State, but great range of topics covered. Issues include interpreters, transition planning, person centered planning, and collaborative partnerships.

 Promising Practices In Cultural Competence: Open Doors for Multicultural Families (pdf, 637 KB)
Brief on how Open Doors for Multicultural Families has implemented culturally competent practices and reached widely diverse clientele. Good set of “essential elements” and “lessons learned” offered. Provides fact sheet and many examples of best practices.

Using Outreach to Increase Access (Web page)
Online toolkit demonstrates how to implement an outreach service to expand access to health services, practices, and products. Examples answer the questions of what outreach is, when is it needed, and give suggestions of common methods of outreach and creative and nontraditional ideas for implementation. Also touches upon cultural awareness.

Using Technology in Outreach

A Consumers Guide to Case Management Systems
Helps tech users decide which case management system is right for their organization’s needs and budget. Description of the process and guidance through evaluation of listed systems is adaptable for various systems a PTI is looking at.