Cultural Competence
Master of Social Work, Walden
University SOCW 6111: Advanced
Clinical Practice I
14:51:30 GMT -05:00
, Cultural Competence
Claudia is a six-year-old Hispanic female born six months after her parents moved to the
United States. Her mom reported that she has struggled with anxiety since witnessing a mugging
in her neighborhood (Plummer, et.al, 2014b). Claudia lives in an impoverished area with her
mom and dad (Plummer, et.al, 2014b). She has been so traumatized that she asks her parents to
continue to check to see if the door is locked repeatedly (Plummer et al., 2014b). She is currently
receiving therapy services from a social worker. The social worker is currently working with her
on skills to cope with her anxiety and increase her ability to maintain focus in school.
Describe two social issues related to the course-specific case study for Claudia that inform a
culturally competent social worker.
A few social issues are occurring in the case of Claudia. The social problems that
Claudia’s family currently faces are obtaining legal residency and living in poverty. They now
live in an area where the crime rate is high, and Claudia is always worried that something terrible
may happen. Because of the neighborhood that she lives in, the social worker must work with
Claudia to eliminate her fear and anxiety of living in an unsafe area. Children living in poverty
have higher rates of anxiety and other mental health issues than those who do not (Hodgkinson et
al., 2017). Statistics also show that families living in impoverished areas are more likely to be
victims of violence (Hodgkinson et al., 2017). Another issue that her family is currently facing is
gaining legal residency after moving to the United States from Nicaragua. It can be difficult for
her family to access specific resources without being legal residents; cultural competence is
essential when working with a family who is not aware of the resources they have access to. The
social worker can work with the family to understand their background and find resources that
she feels will benefit the family.
14:51:30 GMT -05:00
Master of Social Work, Walden
University SOCW 6111: Advanced
Clinical Practice I
14:51:30 GMT -05:00
, Cultural Competence
Claudia is a six-year-old Hispanic female born six months after her parents moved to the
United States. Her mom reported that she has struggled with anxiety since witnessing a mugging
in her neighborhood (Plummer, et.al, 2014b). Claudia lives in an impoverished area with her
mom and dad (Plummer, et.al, 2014b). She has been so traumatized that she asks her parents to
continue to check to see if the door is locked repeatedly (Plummer et al., 2014b). She is currently
receiving therapy services from a social worker. The social worker is currently working with her
on skills to cope with her anxiety and increase her ability to maintain focus in school.
Describe two social issues related to the course-specific case study for Claudia that inform a
culturally competent social worker.
A few social issues are occurring in the case of Claudia. The social problems that
Claudia’s family currently faces are obtaining legal residency and living in poverty. They now
live in an area where the crime rate is high, and Claudia is always worried that something terrible
may happen. Because of the neighborhood that she lives in, the social worker must work with
Claudia to eliminate her fear and anxiety of living in an unsafe area. Children living in poverty
have higher rates of anxiety and other mental health issues than those who do not (Hodgkinson et
al., 2017). Statistics also show that families living in impoverished areas are more likely to be
victims of violence (Hodgkinson et al., 2017). Another issue that her family is currently facing is
gaining legal residency after moving to the United States from Nicaragua. It can be difficult for
her family to access specific resources without being legal residents; cultural competence is
essential when working with a family who is not aware of the resources they have access to. The
social worker can work with the family to understand their background and find resources that
she feels will benefit the family.
14:51:30 GMT -05:00
