Cultural Proficiency: Supporting the Development of Cultural Competence in Mentoring Relationships

Abstract

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's (ASHA's) Strategic Pathway to Excellence calls for increased cultural competence of association members (ASHA, 2016a). This objective, fueled by a longstanding recognition of the need to educate ASHA members about the influence of culture and language on assessment and intervention (ASHA, 1985, 2004), has resulted in a greater number of resources for acquiring these knowledge and skills. However, little has been written about how mentors can facilitate the development of cultural competence among new and future professionals. In order to share this knowledge, mentors must exercise “cultural proficiency” (ASHA, 2016b). Culturally proficient mentors demonstrate an awareness of the variables that exist between the mentor and mentee as well as the clinician and client. They work strategically to help mentees develop their own awareness of cultural and linguistic influences, and apply this during clinical decision making. This article explores the critical need for cultural proficiency in mentoring relationships with our students and clinical fellows, methods for exercising cultural proficiency, and its potential impact on service provision in speech-language pathology and audiology.