Switchboard developed a cultural backgrounder on the Democratic Republic of the Congo to support direct service workers in providing cultural responsive care to Congolese families who have resettled in the U.S. This Congolese cultural backgrounder includes information on the historical context, languages, and religions of the DRC, including insights on building trust, providing cultural orientation, and family dynamics, among other topics.
Resource Tag: Culture
-
Conversation Starters for Newcomer Mental Health
The Office of Global Michigan and Treetops Collective partnered to develop this one-pager to support home visiting programs working with refugee and immigrant newcomer families. This conversation guide outlines 14 questions home visitors can use to start conversations about mental health with newcomers. These questions exemplify how to use plain language, cultural curiosity, and shared human experiences to build trust and avoid stigmatizing terminology in mental health conversations with newcomer families.
-
Supporting Newcomer Mental Health Training Slides
On July 23rd, 2026, Ashley Hanberry, Refugee Mental Health Coordinator at the Office of Global Michigan, and Liubov Goncharenko, Senior Collective Care Manager at Treetops Collective, presented on the topic of address the mental health needs of newcomers in home visiting. The training addressed common beliefs and taboos of newcomer families, plain language and permission-based approaches to offering support, types of providers and mental health services available to newcomers in Michigan, and the importance of culturally responsive, trust-based referrals. The slide deck for this training can be downloaded below.
-
Supporting Newcomer Mental Health Training Recording
On July 23rd, 2026, Ashley Hanberry, Refugee Mental Health Coordinator at the Office of Global Michigan, and Liubov Goncharenko, Senior Collective Care Manager at Treetops Collective, presented on the topic of address the mental health needs of newcomers in home visiting. The training addressed common beliefs and taboos of newcomer families, plain language and permission-based approaches to offering support, types of providers and mental health services available to newcomers in Michigan, and the importance of culturally responsive, trust-based referrals. The recording of this training can be viewed below.
Resource: Supporting Newcomer Mental Health Training Recording
-
Cultural Humility in Home Visiting Training Recording
On May 21st, 2026, Kristina Sankar, Assistant Director at Refugee Development Center, presented on the topic of using cultural humility in home visiting. Her training addressed the theory of cultural humility, real world examples of cultural humility, and practical steps home visitors and home visiting supervisors can take to integrate cultural humility in their program. The recording of this training can be viewed below.
Resource: Cultural Humility in Home Visiting Training Recording
-
Tips for Home Visiting with Newcomer Families
The Refugee Development Center developed this one-pager to support home visiting programs working with refugee and immigrant newcomer families. This tip sheet outlines 8 critical strategies to successfully engage and retain refugee and immigrant newcomer families in home visiting programs.
-
Cultural Humility in Home Visiting Training Slides
On May 21st, 2026, Kristina Sankar, Assistant Director at Refugee Development Center, presented on the topic of using cultural humility in home visiting. Her training addressed the theory of cultural humility, real world examples of cultural humility, and practical steps home visitors and home visiting supervisors can take to integrate cultural humility in their program. The slide deck for this training can be downloaded below.
-
Supporting Immigrant Families, A Culturally Humble Approach
The Institute for the Advancement of Family Support Professionals provides a free, 45-minute module to provide home visitors with a strong foundation for using cultural humility in their work.
Resource: Supporting Immigrant Families, A Culturally Humble Approach
-
Cultural Humility: People, Principles, and Practices
Dr. Vivian Chávez MSW, a California-based public health professional produced a short film exploring cultural humility through storytelling, music, and interviews, highlighting lifelong learning, power differentials, and accountability to build trust, address inequities, and create more inclusive systems and relationships. Watch this 30-minute video to expand your understanding of Cultural Humility and it’s impact in home visiting.
Resource: Cultural Humility: People, Principles, and Practices
-
Reflective Practice Tools for Culturally Responsive Services
The Oregon Health Authority and Intercultural Solutions consulting developed a guide to aid home visitors and supervisors in culturally and linguistically responsive practice, offering reflective tools, inquiry questions, and supervisor guidance to better understand and support families within their cultural contexts.