THW Continuing Education
Cultural Humility & Responsive Service Delivery
A Lifelong Practice of Reflection, Openness, and Accountability
Duration
2 Hours
CEUs
2.0
Competencies
10, 12, 16, 17, 26
Every person you support carries multiple cultural identities — race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, ability, class, geography, profession — and so do you. The places where your identities and theirs meet shape every conversation, whether you notice it or not.
For decades, the field has talked about cultural competence — the idea that with enough training, a provider can become competent in working with people from different cultures. The problem with that frame is that it suggests a finish line. It implies you can read a chapter, complete a training, and arrive at “done.” That’s not how culture works. And it’s not how the relational work of peer support works either.
This course introduces cultural humility — a practice of lifelong learning, self-reflection, and accountability. It asks you to examine your own cultural identities and assumptions, recognize the implicit biases that everyone (including you) carries, and develop practical skills for adapting your approach across cultural contexts. The goal is not to become an expert on every culture. The goal is to become someone people can trust to honor who they are.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
| 1 | Distinguish between cultural competence and cultural humility, and articulate why the shift matters. |
| 2 | Identify your own cultural identities and their influence on your THW practice. |
| 3 | Recognize implicit bias in yourself and in service delivery, and apply strategies to address it. |
| 4 | Define the three types of microaggressions and respond to them with skill. |
| 5 | Understand the historical and ongoing impacts of systemic racism and discrimination on the communities you serve in Oregon. |
| 6 | Apply practical skills for respectful inquiry, adaptive communication, and culturally responsive practice. |
Course Sections
Section 1 — From Cultural Competence to Cultural Humility
Why “competence” fell short, the origins of cultural humility, and the three pillars that define the practice.
Section 2 — Self-Awareness and Cultural Identity
The cultural iceberg, intersectionality, and exploring your own multiple identities and how they show up in your work.
Section 3 — Understanding Implicit Bias & Microaggressions
Explicit vs. implicit bias, how bias affects peer support relationships, and the three types of microaggressions.
Section 4 — Oregon’s Diverse Communities
Historical trauma, LGBTQ+ mental health disparities, immigrant and refugee experiences, and rural community considerations.
Section 5 — Skills for Culturally Responsive Practice
The LEARN model, adapting communication styles, working with interpreters, and repairing harm when it happens.
A note before you begin
This course asks you to look honestly at yourself, including parts that may be uncomfortable. That discomfort is not a sign you’re doing something wrong — it’s a sign you’re engaging with material that matters. The goal isn’t to feel guilty about who you are or where you come from. The goal is to bring more awareness to how your identities show up in your work, so you can do that work with greater honesty and skill.
“Cultural humility incorporates a lifelong commitment to self-evaluation and self-critique, to redressing power imbalances, and to developing mutually beneficial partnerships.”
— Melanie Tervalon & Jann Murray-García, 1998
