Number of Professional Development Hours: 2.5

There are many contextual imperatives that make culturally responsive practices and education necessary. Some of those imperatives are the changing demographics around the world, the current global health crises, and the disparities in care for individuals who identify as Black, Indigenous, and Other People of Color; those who are impoverished, others who are living with disabilities, and members of LGBTQIA+ communities. Module 4: Engaging in Ethical and Culturally Responsive Practices is focused on defining culturally responsive practices. It will include a discussion about the ethics of culturally responsive practices and explain the role that social justice and equity play in cultural responsiveness. Furthermore, participants will be guided in a process that can be used to identify inequitable and unjust practices and policies, as well as create a plan for eliminating those inequities and injustices. 

Note: Module 4 addresses requirements for ASHA Certification Maintenance; specifically, it covers Culturally Responsive Practices, Equity, and Ethics. Beginning in January 2020, American Speech, Language, and Hearing Association certificate holders are required to earn, 1 hour of ethics and 2 hours of “cultural competency, cultural humility, culturally responsive practice or diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)”.

Learning Objectives: At the end of Module 4: Engaging in Ethical and Culturally Responsive Practices, participants will be able to: 

1. Define culture, equity, social justice, and cultural responsiveness

2. Explain the contextual imperatives that make cultural responsiveness necessary in clinical and educational work

3. Explain the connections among equity, social justice, and cultural responsiveness.

4. Discuss the essential nature of culturally responsive practices for clinical and educational work

5. Identify inequitable and unjust practices and policies

6. Create a plan for eliminating inequitable and unjust practices and policies