Refugees have unique strengths and needs related to their cultural backgrounds and experiences of forced displacement and resettlement. Refugee service providers must demonstrate cultural competence to effectively serve clients, but this is often complicated by unclear definitions and a lack of practical guidance. This guide highlights key culturally competent approaches in refugee service settings, based on an original literature review conducted by Switchboard in 2020. To learn more about the research on cultural competence, including critiques of this concept, see Switchboard’s September 10, 2020 webinar: Cultural Competence in Refugee Service Settings: What Does the Research Tell Us?
