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Course Description

In today’s diverse world, cultural understanding is essential for building strong relationships and creating meaningful change. Whether in the workplace or the community, the ability to communicate effectively across cultures is key to fostering trust and delivering impactful services. Cultural competence—the ability to understand, respect, and engage with different cultural perspectives—ensures that professionals can work effectively with individuals and families from all backgrounds.

This course will help you:

✔️ Enhance cultural awareness and competence at both the individual and organizational levels.

✔️ Recognize and address diversity, disparities, and implicit biases that may affect relationships and service delivery.

✔️ Understand the role of organizational culture in shaping culturally responsive practices.

✔️ Align leadership, mission, and strategy to create an inclusive and culturally competent environment.

 

By the end of this course, you’ll have the skills and knowledge to build stronger, more inclusive relationships and provide culturally responsive services that truly make a difference.

 

 

This course is offered in February and August.

Enrollment opens at least one month prior to its start date. 

 

Learner Outcomes

After completing this module, participants will be able to:

  • Identify a broad definition of culture

  • Define cultural competence and cultural humility

  • Describe the impact of disparities and inequities on different groups/families

  • Identify components of organizational culture

  • Explain how organizational culture can influence the way services are delivered and the way individuals experience services

  • Identify next steps on their cultural competence journey

Notes

All courses begin on the first day of the month and end on the last day of the month. All course work must be completed prior to the last day of the month. Any unfinished assignments receives a zero that will cause the grade to drop. An 80% is required to pass this course. 

 

All cancellation requests must be in writing via email to sfwtuh@temple.edu and received by the Temple University Harrisburg staff before becoming effective.

**Please note: If a cancellation request is not made and the registrant does not attend the course as originally scheduled, the registrant is still responsible for payment for the scheduled course.

 

Cancellation and Refund Policy:

All cancellation requests must be received within 72 hours (3 business days) from the date of enrollment in the course AND the registered person has not accessed any portion of the online course. Cancellations that meet the criterial listed above will be eligible for a full refund of fees paid.

 

Continuing Education - Social Work

This course has been approved for 0.6 CEUs and 6 Social Work Continuing Education Hours. Temple University is a PA State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Professional Counselors pre-approved provider of continuing education.

Certificates documenting continuing education hours will be issued by Temple University Harrisburg. Participants must request these certificates through the CE request form/process listed below.

Certificates of completion documenting satisfactory completion of the professional development course will be generated/issued through the LLEE system.

To obtain CEUS, please complete the following items:

  • Pay the Continuing Education Fee of $20 (optional choice at check-out)
  • Complete all required assignments in Canvas and obtain an 80% or higher for passing.
  • Complete the CE Request Form (click blue hyperlink)
  • Complete the Course Evaluation (include your name)

 

Prerequisites

If obtaining the SFW Credential, Foundations of Strengths-based Practice is required before taking this course.

 

Recommendations

To successfully complete the training and activities, the materials needed/recommended are:
  • Computer/Laptop (recommend 5 yrs. old or newer)
    • Processor: 2.4 GHz or faster
    • 4 GB of RAM
    • Operating System: Windows 10
  • Internet connection (1.5 Mbps-ok; 5 Mbps- better)
  • Mouse
  • Keyboard
  • Audio equipment (i.e., computer speakers)
  • Web Browser - Google Chrome, recommended
  • Software - Microsoft Office and Adobe Reader
 
Basic Computer Proficiency
  • Using a keyboard and mouse
  • Selecting, copying, pasting text
  • Sending and receiving email
  • Saving and retrieving files in different formats (.docx, .pdf, .pptx., etc.)
  • Using a text editor (changing fonts, inserting links, using spell check, etc.)
  • Browsing for files to attach and upload
  •  
  • Accessing the Internet using a web browser and resetting basic web browser settings (clearing cache/history, cookies, etc.)

Applies Towards the Following Certificates

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Enroll Now - Select a section to enroll in
Section Title
Pursuing Cultural Understanding
Type
Online-fixed date/synchronous meeting(s)
Dates
Feb 01, 2025 to Feb 28, 2025
Delivery Options
Online  
Course Fee(s)
Tuition $100.00 Click here to get more information
Section Fees
SFW CE Fee $20.00 Optional
CEUs
6 CEUs
Instructors
  • Carolyn Truchon
Section Notes

Course Start Date: August 1, 2025 until August 31, 2025

All course work is due by August 31, 2025. No work can be submitted after this date.  

Enrollment closes July 29, 2025

Relationships are important and key to affecting change. In our workplace, in our world, we are diverse people. Understanding other cultures and being culturally aware helps us to communicate better. Although there is debate regarding the language we use to describe our pursuit of cultural understanding, the focus here is on developing and enhancing our knowledge of the topic and obtaining the skills needed to work with our clients and families. Cultural competence is the ability to understand and interact effectively across cultures and is critical because without it our opportunity to build effective relationships is not possible.


This course focuses on the role of culture and cultural understanding and competence on the individual worker level as well as on the organizational level. We will distinguish issues of diversity, disparities, and potential implicit bias that may impede individual and organizational success in building helping relationships and providing culturally responsive and congruent services to individuals and families. This course will identify the role of organizational culture and the dynamics that influence organizational cultural competence and describe how the alignment of leadership, mission and values, assessment, design, strategy, and planning are all crucial elements of pursuing cultural understanding.