socw 6101 week 2 Discussion 1 ( 2021 latest update )

socw 6101 week 2 Discussion 1 Discussion 1 - Week 2 Content Select: All None List Actions • • • Thread 1 of 2 53 Post(s) in this Thread 0 Unread Discussion 1: Cultural Competence in Social Work Practice Imagine being a social worker assigned to an agency in an urban city. This agency primarily serves people with disabilities, a population that is relatively new to you. In order to serve this population, part of your job is to become culturally competent about their experiences in society. What does “culturally competent” mean? As a practitioner, it means recognizing and respecting an individual’s differences and then building upon that to create an awareness of how those differences have impacted that individual’s life experiences. Further, it means recognizing that these individuals are the experts of their own lives and, in turn, it means that you must ask a lot of questions to learn about their specific needs while you work together. How does this translate into specific skills you can use? For example, if you are working with Susan, who is deemed legally blind, you might ask her how close she would like to sit to you so that she could make out your shape and shadow during the conversation. For Fred, who is in a wheelchair, that might mean learning how difficult it is for him to manage getting around the city, due to a lack of curb cuts. Or for Maria, it might mean learning about epilepsy and how to properly react should she have a seizure during a session. How might you exhibit cultural competence when working with your selected population? For this Discussion, review this week’s Learning Resources. Reflect on the population you selected for Week 1. Then, think about the skills you think are necessary for attaining cultural competence as a social worker working with that population. Then search the Walden Library for peer-reviewed article(s) that support the skills you selected. Post by Day 3 a brief explanation of the skills you think are necessary for attaining cultural competence as a social worker working with the population you selected last week. Include an APA citation for a peer-reviewed article that supports the skills you selected. Support your posts and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources. Be sure to provide full APA citations for your references. Read a selection of your colleagues' posts. Respond by Day 5 to at least two colleagues by explaining two potential barriers your colleague might face in becoming a culturally competent social worker working with the population your colleague described and offer a skill you might use to overcome each barrier. Return to this Discussion to read the responses to your initial post. Note what you have learned and/or any insights you have gained as a result of the comments your colleagues made. Click on the Reply button below to reveal the textbox for entering your message. Then click on the Submit button to post your message. 1 month ago Access the profile card for user: Ma'Dea Carpenter Ma'Dea Carpenter RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 COLLAPSE 1 month ago Access the profile card for user: Ma'Dea Carpenter Ma'Dea Carpenter RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 Good afternoon class, COLLAPSE Being culturally competent in the social work field is extremely important. Unfortunately, it may be impossible to be fully culturally competent. Things are constantly changing and there is always more information to gain from culture to culture. However, one of my previous professors taught me that it is possible to be "culturally sensitive and responsive". Meaning be aware of cultural differences and similarities between people without assigning them a value (positive nor negative) and learn from and relate respectfully with people of your own culture as well as those from other cultures. In the Mental health field it is important to be genuine and accepting, open-minded, willing to accept the views of others and to never assume. Never assume that a gesture is okay, or a "phrase" . Offending a person can happen with the smallest action. If there is ever any confusion I would suggest asking a supervisor or researching and depending on the relationship with the client simply asking. According to The Surgeon General report on Mental health "there are disparities in behavioral health for minorities" and BMC Health Services Research states " cultural competence is now a core requirement for mental health professionals working with culturally diverse patient groups." This means employers are adamant about social workers in the mental health field researching and learning the cultural differences of the clients handled at their agencies. It ensures that ethical standards are being met because with knowledge comes resources to help the client. Kirst-Ashman, K. K., & Hull, G. H., Jr. (2014). Understanding generalist practice (7th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning. Johnson, Y. M., & Munch, S. (2009). Fundamental contradictions in cultural competence. Social Work, 54(3), 220–231. Reply Quote Email Author Hide 9 replies 1 month ago Mohammad Tirmazi WALDEN INSTRUCTOR MANAGER RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 Ms. Carpenter COLLAPSE Thank you for an insightful post about the importance of cultural competence. You provide some great suggestion in being cautious not to generalize within and across groups. Most cultural groups are not monolithic as great diversity can exist within once cultural group. Do you think mental health is conceptualized differently across cultures? Therefore, how can someone increase there cultural competence and sensitivity as mental health may not be pathologized across many cultures? Prof. Tirmazi Reply Quote Email Author Hide 3 replies 1 month ago Access the profile card for user: Ma'Dea Carpenter Ma'Dea Carpenter RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 Hello Professor Tirmazi, COLLAPSE I believe attitudes toward mental health varies from culture to culture. In some cultures, people believe that a doctor or social worker can not help cure or treat a problem. The only capable source is either God, fate and or a mythical creature. In order to be culturally sensitive with mental health patients that may not be diagnosed or characterized as "medically or psychologically abnormal", the social should treat them normally and not as if something is wrong with them. The social worker should respect the beliefs of the client while also being openly informative about options and consequences if treatment is not accepted. Reply Quote Email Author Hide 2 replies 1 month ago Brittany Sterrett-Jones RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 COLLAPSE I completely agree with you mental health is a stigma in some cultures it is viewed as being weak. I think it is important to give our clients options and choices at the same time being informative and sensitive to their beliefs. Reply Quote Email Author 1 month ago Access the profile card for user: Tina James Tina James RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 COLLAPSE Brittany, I feel the same way about the stigma that goes with mental health because people assume that you are different so you are not a productive, functioning individual. Brittany how would handle if the client you are helping is schizophrenia and on this particular day she/he think you are the enemy and start to have a melt down and one of your colleagues intervene and brings the situation into a functioning condition, would you get upset or go with the flow and do what is best for your client at that time? I shared this because one of my clients did this exact situation and I just fell behind my colleague because it helped my client open up and feel more comfortable with her problems. It showed my client that it was not about me it was about them at that moment, and when she retured to the office for another follow up she identified what had happen and it made a great rapport. Reply Quote Email Author 1 month ago Carol Smith RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 Ma'Dea, COLLAPSE I agree it is extremely hard to remain cultural competent when dealing with a diverse group of people. However as Social Worker we must know how certain things effect our client. In the course of study I am interested in I have found knowing the culture of the client is essential. Reply Quote Email Author 1 month ago Access the profile card for user: Elaina Gonzales-Blanton RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 Elaina Gonzales-Blanton COLLAPSE Hello, I completely agree with you that it may not be possible to fully culturally competent. Our world is ever changing, especially with technology advancing so fast. Thank you for sharing the piece from The Surgeon General Report. I had not realized that there were disparities with minorities and mental health. Reply Quote Email Author 1 month ago Access the profile card for user: Kristin Zimmerman RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 Kristin Zimmerman COLLAPSE I think continuing education will be necessary to become as close to cultural competence as well as experience. the more we can expose ourselves the more we can gain confidence for ourselves and our clients. Reply Quote Email Author 1 month ago Access the profile card for user: tamer sabry tamer sabry RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 COLLAPSE Due to culturally competent i would consider the Emotional barriers and taboos. Some people may find it difficult to express their emotions and some topics may be completely 'off-limits' or taboo. 1 month ago Access the profile card for user: Tiffany Morgan RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 Tiffany Morgan COLLAPSE Being an effective social worker in a multicultural society requires that we are aware of many barriers that impede our ability to function (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2012). I clearly see in your post, you have the desire to become self- aware and to discover if you have any assumptions or stereotypes in mind. I believe in your attempt to be fair minded (which is great) can be a barrier because you might be tempted to treat everyone alike which pretend that culture and experience have no role determining behavior (Kirst-Ashman & Hull,2012) . The second barrier would be the tendency to explain people's behavior by reference to their culture or disability (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2012). Reference: Kirst-Ashman, K.K., & Hull, G.H. Jr. (2012). Understanding generalist practice (6th ed.). Stamford, CT:Cengage Learning. Reply Quote Email Author 1 month ago Access the profile card for user: Roxanne Tracy RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 Roxanne Tracy COLLAPSE As a social worker, one will work with many different people. Being culturally competent is a goal in which all social workers should work towards. It is not possible to understand every culture on the planet due to the diversity of the many cultures in the world. Yet, it is possible to establish a foundation for oneself that can guide a social worker. Understanding that empathy is necessary to every interaction with each person a social worker works with. Starting there, a therapeutic foundation can be formed. Mental illness affects every culture, and how each culture responds to mental health disorders will vary. Many cultures choose to keep it in the family, and reject any possible outside help. Knowing this makes outreach difficult, yet not impossible (Kwok, 2014). Through reading about case studies of people different than myself, I have come to some conclusions. Kwok (2014), speaks of her experiences about her illness, as well as being Chinese, through reaching out and advocating for herself she in turn could reach out to people from her own culture (Kwok, 2014). In return Kwok (2014), received correspondence from people from her culture that reached out and broke the chains of silence that has shrouded mental illness and kept it hidden. This shows that people can respond to help and to information regarding mental illness when you meet them where they are at. To be a competent social worker I believe that is the key, to meet people where they are at. Finding resources for them that can aid in the cultural differences that exist. That could mean reaching out to a local agency or religious organization that offers a group of people that can help the social worker and the client understand the culture or origin. There are tools a social worker collects over the years, and as they are attained it is useful to keep them for the sake of future clients. References Kwok, C. Y. (2014). Beyond the clinical model of recovery: Recovery of a Chinese immigrant woman with bipolar disorder. East Asian Archives of Psychiatry, 24(3), 129-133. Reply Quote Email Author Hide 9 replies 1 month ago Mohammad Tirmazi WALDEN INSTRUCTOR MANAGER RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 Ms. Tracy COLLAPSE Thank you for an insightful post about the importance of cultural competence. You provide some great suggestion in being cautious not to generalize within and across groups. Most cultural groups are not monolithic as great diversity can exist within once cultural group. Do you think mental health is conceptualized differently across cultures? Therefore, how can someone increase there cultural competence and sensitivity as mental health may not be pathologized across many cultures? Prof. Tirmazi Reply Quote Email Author Hide 2 replies 1 month ago Access the profile card for user: Roxanne Tracy RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 Professor, Roxanne Tracy COLLAPSE I certainly do think that mental health is conceptualized differently across cultures. My best way to explain this comes in the form of a recent experience that I just incurred. I have had intensive training the last week on this exact subject. I learned a lot about what black people believe, and here is something that I honestly never considered. I was taught by my culture that it is appropriate to call a black person, African American. Yet, that is not correct. There are many black people who do not come from Africa. I met a woman who is from New Guinea, and she was very informative about how this is such a misnomer. It is not culturally competent to assume that just because the color of a person’s skin is dark that their ancestry stems from the continent of Africa. It is amazing to me, because I have many black friends who never really took the time to clarify this, and I as a social worker did not do my homework. Now with that said, I have black friends who have said that regarding mental health they prefer to keep that topic within their family system. I cannot state that this is true specifically for someone who is from New Guinea, nor from Africa. What I really am beginning to focus on is that the only real way we as social workers can conceptualize cultural competency is to do our homework. To become more sensitive to any subject, investigative methods must be at the forefront. One way to help social workers understand the importance of cultural sensitivity regarding mental health is to acknowledge that every culture has their own familial as well as societal norms. In Balkir, Arens & Barnow (2013), the goal was to acknowledge that culture does play a role in how mental health, and mental illness are viewed. If one comes from a culture that is more apt to be group oriented, then the individual’s autonomy will not be the focus. Examples would be the United States for instance, the U.S. is much more of an individual versus group society, whereas Turkey is more group oriented (Balkir, Arens & Barnow, 2013). Taking that into consideration, it makes sense that there will be cultures that will be more concerned with how mental illness affects the whole group and therefor may be much more likely to remain hidden for fear of putting the spotlight so to speak on a person who suffers from mental illness. Which in turn, that spotlight would then break the group norms, and that could explain why the stigma of mental illness still is so persistent in the world. References Balkir, N., Arens, E. A., & Barnow, S. (2013). Exploring the relevance of autonomy and relatedness for mental health in healthy and depressed women from two different cultures: When does culture matter? International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 59(5), 482-492. doi:10.1177/ Reply Quote Email Author Hide 1 reply 1 month ago Access the profile card for user: Shawn McKinney Shawn McKinney RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 COLLAPSE I do feel that one way we can ensure that we are performing cultural competence is to practice cultural humility. Studies have shown that "the majority of social workers are privileged groups and have not experienced the social exclusions";(Rosen, Mccall, & Goodkind, 2017). While social workers do not have any control over the fact that they have not experienced the prejudices or oppression that certain cultures and groups have experienced, they can, however, educate themselves and conduct the research necessary to gain the understanding of the discrimination and prejudice that certain groups face every day in America and around the world. So, it is not professionally responsible just to be 'competent', we must practice cultural sensitivity, humility, and competence. An analogy would be a mechanic, who has mastered the curriculum and book work, but cannot use a wrench when it comes to the hands­on exercises. I feel the project endeavor that we are about to take on, as a class, is how we should approach cultural sensitivity, humility and competence. Gaining experience is an integral part of being a social­worker and we must try to be perfect in our practices. Rosen, D., Mccall, J., & Goodkind, S. (2017). Teaching critical self­reflection through the lens of cultural humility: An assignment in a social work diversity course. Social Work Education, 36(3), 289­ 298. doi:10.1080/.2017. Reply Quote Email Author 1 month ago Carol Smith RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 Roxanne COLLAPSE You are correct we will never know ever culture however knowledge of your clients demographics and beliefs can play an important role in providing assistant. Dealing with mentally ill clients could potentially present a problem. We must get personal information from other family members in order to gain cultural competence. Reply Quote Email Author Hide 1 reply 1 month ago Access the profile card for user: Roxanne Tracy RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 Carol, Roxanne Tracy COLLAPSE In my post I was not implying that I would not do an assessment. In clinical practice it is the first thing you are going to do. The assessment will include background, culture, medical history, and the list goes on. When you take into consideration the many cultures that exist in this world it is not possible to know every nuance of every culture. That is why as a social worker one has to be a detective as well. Taking the task of being a social worker as a career choice implies that you will be many things. A historian, a seeker of knowledge, a detective as I just mentioned. Yet, it should not be assumed that every person in the field is going to know every culture. That is not practical nor possible. We have to know our limitations and our knowledge weakness's or we can open ourselves up to forming opinions that are not based on fact. Regards, Roxanne Reply Quote Email Author 1 month ago Access the profile card for user: Ma'Dea Carpenter Ma'Dea Carpenter RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 Good afternoon, COLLAPSE I agree being culturally competent is something social workers should strive for and due to all the different types of cultures it will be extremely difficult. Reminding ourselves that we can succeed with our clients by getting to know them and learning more about their culture will show them how much we care. Finding the appropriate resources they need and making sure we know what options would offend them is important. For example, in our reading this week we found Eboni's family is religious, we would not want to offend her by making suggestions against her religion. Reply Quote Email Author 1 month ago Access the profile card for user: Shawn McKinney Shawn McKinney RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 COLLAPSE What up, Roxy? I hope everything is going well this semester. When I read your writing, you referenced that many cultures choose to "keep it in the family". Which cultures are more accustomed to keep their issues in the family? Furthermore, how does them keeping their issues in the family influence the decisions that you must make during the intervention stage of the Generalist Intervention Model? The African-American culture has a tendency to keep their issues 'inside' and a good majority of the time, choose to consult with their religious leader for advice on dealing with issues (Kirst-Ashman K.& Hull G, 2015). I also know that Asian cultures, along with First Nations people, can hold a level of skepticism when dealing with an authoritative figure initially. Asian cultures are family-oriented and do not want to bring shame onto their name. Now, I don't feel, according to my values and beliefs, that asking an individual or organization for help is bringing shame upon the family and name. But, we all have our belief system and that is how some families make decision. What do you think we can do to emphasize to the cultures that we deal with that their information and treatment will be confidential and that we represent their interests and needs and will never betray their trust? Shawn Kirst-Ashman, K. K., & Hull, G. H. (2015). Understanding generalist practice (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning. Reply Quote Email Author Hide 1 reply 1 month ago Access the profile card for user: Roxanne Tracy RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 Shawn, Roxanne Tracy COLLAPSE Hi! Just a shout out to tell you I am enjoying your discussion posts. They are interesting, fact filled and awesome. I am having a great start. Interestingly enough, my new job started at the same time graduate school did. That has been challenging yet, both involve cultural competency teaching. I have been reading so much due to school work, and at the same time in training at my job. To answer your questions let me say this, personally what I have found in the many social work positions I have held in regards to what cultures keep it in the family, are many. I worked in Arizona most of my life, and well as in New England. Such a vast culturally difference. In Arizona, I noticed that the Hispanic population were more likely to keep individual problems in the family. They were less likely to reach out to a counselor, and when they did I found it took more time, and patience on my part to find a way in to their safe world. Bridging the great divide, especially these days with all the immigration speak on the news and from our (ahem) president, it has become even more challenging. As for the way I incorporate the Generalist Intervention Model (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2015), as a social worker I have attempted to keep my views very broad. I believe you have to have a huge heart, a very open mind, and a yearning for continuing education. Rigid thinking has no place in social work. I have always been a very open and receptive person, so it has been easier for me to get people to open up to me. I grew up with many different cultures. That has helped as I have become an adult, I grew up in a poor family with a single mother. I have a knowledge base on the difficulties of that experience. It has helped me when I do outreach as a social worker. When I lived in New England, I was surrounded by many rich cultures. Jamaican, Puerto Rican, African, Irish and the list goes in. That has immensely helped me and guided me. Thank you for your questions, I hope I helped to add to this conversation. References Kirst-Ashman, K.K., & Hull, G.H. (2015). Understanding generalist practice (7th ed.) Boston, MA: Cengage Learning. Reply Quote Email Author 1 month ago James Eggert RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 Hello Roxanne, COLLAPSE I do believe that cultural competency is important. However, as Social Workers we also must keep in mind that basic human traits are cross cultural. For example, love, hate, anger, jealousy, etcetera, are all cross cultural. Furthermore, mental illness is also a cross cultural. For example, I have ADHD, when I accepted a military contract position in Kuwait I found that ADHD was also recognized their as well. Culture should never take presidents of the individuals specific needs. While culture can provide additional insight it is not the only approach to understanding a group or an individuals needs. Regards, James Eggert Reply Quote Email Author 1 month ago Access the profile card for user: Tina James Tina James RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 Hello Class and Professor, COLLAPSE I think the skills that are necessary to be a very affective social worker with the military population, would be to have an openness and the flexibility of what you as the professional may encounter. You also have to remember to not be bias because the military come from all over the world and with that comes different feelings, beliefs, traditions, cultural perspectives, thought patterns, and life agendas. Having an open mind will not only put the soldiers and family members at ease when being serviced but also help to build strong rapport and positive counselor/client relationship. Building that connection will make giving advice and assistance easier. You may deal with soldiers and families that see you as the enemy because you are trying to help and they don’t understand the process, so you have to be patient and trustworthy to gain the respect of the individual or the unit as a whole. Becoming a social worker with the military you have to adjust to the different variables that the solider, the family and their support are dealing with; and the “cultural differences” which may bring a whole different spin on the thought pattern. Public health agency of Canada, measuring positive mental health: social support for the military (2016). Reply Quote Email Author Hide 3 replies 1 month ago Mohammad Tirmazi WALDEN INSTRUCTOR MANAGER RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 Ms. James COLLAPSE Thank you for an insightful post about the importance of cultural competence. How does the article you read support the culturally competent skills you mentioned? Did the article provide some skills or have a view of what cultural competence is and how it plays out in social work practice with the military? Prof. Tirmazi Reply Quote Email Author Hide 1 reply 1 month ago Access the profile card for user: Tina James Tina James RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 Prof. Tirmazi, COLLAPSE I read this article and it covered alot of information about military in combat, children and families, PTSD, support systems in the life of a soldier. It was a very informative artical and I included my thought pattern to the disscussion to make it my own. Thanks for finding it to be insightful. I want to be a efficient social worker that will try to do whatever it takes to get the job done for my clients. Reply Quote Email Author Message Unread Mark as Unread Message Not Flagged Set Flag 1 month ago Access the profile card for user: Elaina Gonzales-Blanton Elaina Gonzales-Blanton RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 Hello, COLLAPSE I live in a military community and yes they do come from all over the world and they bring their culture with them. Remembering not to be bias, especially if you do not agree with the politics or current government administration is also important. When soldiers came home from the Vietnam war they were often harassed and spat on because people did not agree with the war. There is still a lot of prejudice in today's society towards service members and we as social workers have to set our political views aside. I commend you for choosing this population as I know first hand that there are a lot of layers to this group. My husband, father, grandfather, cousin and brother are all veterans. Reply Quote Email Author 1 month ago Access the profile card for user: Tiffany Morgan RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 Tiffany Morgan COLLAPSE A brief explanation of the skills necessary for attaining cultural competence as a military social worker I selected the military population due to my family history with the military and past experience with joining AROTC (Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps). In order to work with this population cultural competence is required. The military is a sub-culture in it's own right (2017). As the number, length, and frequency of military deployments increase, so do the behavior health difficulties and stressors of service members, veterans, and their families (2017). The best way to be competent in military culture is to conduct proficient interviews. I do have experience with the Army/Air Force military personnel however that doesn't make me an expert on their life experiences. Each military branch has it's own unique culture and history (2015). I wouldn't refer to an Army (solider) as a "Devil Dog" because that nickname is associated with the Marines. Military social workers can't assume that every serve member or veteran joined the military for the same reason. Some join, simply to have basic necessities of life. Most workers entering the professional workforce are from millennial generation (Fisher & Slaymaker, 2015). I believe this will give me an advantage because I desire to work with military personnel between the ages of 18 to 30. According to NASW cultural competence indicators, it will help establish professional expectations so that social workers can monitor and evaluate their cultural competent practice. During the engagement phase, workers should be asking questions, that will help gain information about the clients cultural background to develop an accurate assessment. Workers have to be aware of developing opinions base off their own culture and ideas of what they consider whats best for the client. Over all being a military social worker requires extensive knowledge on military history, branches, customs, and lifestyles. In order to achieve my clientèle's goals, cultural competence will increase my success rates. Resources: Fisher, K. Slaymer, R. Striving for Clutral Competence While Preparing Millennials as Emerging Professional. Journal of Social Work Value and Ethics, Volume 12, Number 2 (20015). Simmons, C.; Diaz, L; Jackson, V; Takahshi, R. NASW Cultural Competence Indicators: A New Tool for the Social Work Profession. Journal of Ethic & Cultural Diversity in Social Work. Spring, 2008 Vol17, (2008) Social Work and Service Members: Joining forces to support veteran and military families. (n.d). Retrieved March 09,2017 from http:// Reply Quote Email Author Hide 3 replies 1 month ago Mohammad Tirmazi WALDEN INSTRUCTOR MANAGER RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 Ms. Morgan COLLAPSE Thank you for an insightful post about the importance of cultural competence as you provide some great suggestion in working with diverse populations. How do you think cultural humility and cultural competence differ? Should we be more focused on cultural sensitivity and awareness rather than cultural competence as competence is often defined as mastery? Prof. Tirmazi Reply Quote Email Author 1 month ago Access the profile card for user: Ma'Dea Carpenter Ma'Dea Carpenter RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 Good afternoon, COLLAPSE I totally agree that just because a person has something in common does not mean they know the entire life of a person. It is so important especially in the military because of all the different people that enlist. Assuming people are the same just because they are apart of the same military branch can cause a disruption in the relationship between client and social worker hindering the success in the sessions. Reply Quote Email Author 1 month ago James Eggert RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 Hello Tiffany, COLLAPSE I do believe your experience with the military does give you an edge over other Social Workers. Do you think it would be beneficial to serve as a social worker on a military base or camp overseas? Regards, James Eggert Reply Quote Email Author 1 month ago Carol Smith RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 COLLAPSE In other to be cultural competence when dealing with the prison system one must explores the role that bias based on race plays in arrests, prosecution and sentencing of offenders and examines how incarceration affects the family. Some Americans commit crimes and many who do deserve to be prosecuted. Young poor men often face disparities within the criminal justice system. Many well-respected criminologists and social scientists like David Cole, Randall Kennedy and Todd Clear have documented how race plays a role in the criminal system as it relates to arrests, prosecution and sentencing. Other social scientists have questioned some of these claims arguing that race is less important than social class, demeanor, and financial resources necessary to obtain adequate defense attorneys. Regardless of whether race itself or social-economic class related to race drives bias, the fact remains that many African Americans men are not treated fairly by the criminal justice system. As a social worker working with the prison system population my cultural competence will be challenged. Cited 1. Rastogi, Sonya, Hoeffel, Elizabeth M. and Drewery, Malcolm P. United States Census Bureau. U.S. Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration. The Black Population: 2010. Washington, D.C. 2011. Print. 2. Murray, Joseph. “The effects of imprisonment on the families of prisoners.” Effects of Imprisonment. (2005): 442-492. Print. Reply Quote Email Author Hide 4 replies 1 month ago Brittany Sterrett-Jones RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 Hello, COLLAPSE Personally I think I mentioned before the prison population is a tough crowd to work with. I believe within that population race does play a major part in making up the system. As a social worker you have to really explore ones background and culture in order to determine the best course of treatment. I do feel that this population is overlooked most of the time. Reply Quote Email Author 1 month ago Access the profile card for user: Tina James Tina James RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 COLLAPSE Carol, I admire you for wanting to become a social worker for the prison system, because not only do you have a diverse group you have a collective group. A social worker will need to be open to the possibility of anything and everything and be on top of there job because of the levels that come with the prison system. I think this population would be a challenge for me because you can not be judgemental or carry any of your beleifs or thought patterns into work and be a affective worker on that inmate's case. Carol what is your thoughts and opinion? Reply Quote Email Author 1 month ago Access the profile card for user: tamer sabry tamer sabry RE: Discussion 1 - Week COLLAPSE I would recommend one more skill such as hysical barriers to non- verbal communication. Not being able to see the non-verbal cues, gestures, posture and general body language can make communication less effective. Reply Quote Message Read Mark as Unread Message Not Flagged Set Flag 1 month ago Mohammad Tirmazi WALDEN INSTRUCTOR MANAGER RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 Ms. Smith COLLAPSE Thank you for an insightful post about the importance of cultural competence in working with incarcerated African American males. How does the article you read support the culturally competent skills you mentioned? Did the article provide some skills or have a view of what cultural competence is and how it plays out in social work practice with incarcerated African American males? Prof. Tirmazi Reply Quote Email Author 1 month ago Brittany Sterrett-Jones RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 COLLAPSE As defined by Ashman & Hull (2014) Cultural Competence is defined as the ability to apply knowledge and skills to social work practice with diverse groups ( Ashman & Hull,2014). When you work in a social service job your main focus is the welfare of the community that you service and you have to be cultural competent in order to provide adequate services. I feel there should be mandatory training in the workplace to help the employee’s understand the diverse population they may encounter. Things are always changing within cultures and society and with that knowledge should come more training to accommodate that change. As stated in Clinical laboratory science journal (2017),” Most healthcare practitioners are aware that they should focus on the needs of the patient and there have been plenty of seminars and workshops about the need for cultural awareness and sensitivity when it relates to quality of patient care and safety.”(p.36). As a case manager I have to be sensitive to each one of my member’s needs. I have built trust and a relationship with each of them and I do not treat any one of them the same. Each one of my member’s needs is different and they each are capable of different things. I believe in my workplace we need to implement more diversity. I have clients that need translators due to not having a diverse staff. When you are a social worker you need to have an open mind and a willingness to learn. You have to be capable of listening to your client and adjusting to their needs. Personally I have experienced forms of discrimination because of the color of my skin. When you see my skin color you may think that I am African American, but I am not I am Hispanic and Caucasian. I have been talked to like I do not have formal education and I have been offered certain services based on the color of my skin. It does not bother me as much now because I am older and have experienced it throughout my life. As a younger adult at the time it became discouraging to reach out and get help. Something you may think may not affect someone it might make a huge impact on them. Conway-Klaassen, J., & Maness, L. (2017). Critical Conversations: Cultural Awareness,Sensitivity, and Competency. Clinical Laboratory Science, 30(1),34-37 Retrieved June 7, 2017. Kirst-Ashman, K., & Hull, G., Jr. (2014). Understanding generalist practice (7th ed.). Cengage Learning. Reply Quote Email Author Hide 1 reply 1 month ago Mohammad Tirmazi WALDEN INSTRUCTOR MANAGER RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 Ms. Sterrett-Jones COLLAPSE Thank you for an insightful post about the importance of cultural competence. You provide some great suggestion in being cautious not to generalize within and across groups. Most cultural groups are not monolithic as great diversity can exist within once cultural group. Do you think race is conceptualized differently across cultures? How can one become cutlrually aware when there is both within and between group diversity among African American populations? Prof. Tirmazi Reply Quote Email Author 1 month ago Morkesha Roberts RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 COLLAPSE I chose to work with the mental health population because a close family member had mental issues and I became interested in the field because I wanted to be able to my family member. Social worker with the Mental health population you have to have an open mind set when dealing with your clients. You also have to be open to the different back grounds and culture of people that will come through your office. As social workers we should be aware of the role that culture plays in their perceptions and those of their clients(Wright,Rees,2015). Being aware of the role that culture plays in our perceptions to give our clients a better outcome of their treatment. Being able to show empathy to all clients of different diversity and respect their cultural beliefs. In doing this I feel that there will be a successful treat for the clients. Wright, G. W., & Reese, R. J. (2015). Application: theory to culturally competent practice: strengthening cultural sensitivity in mental health counseling for deaf clients. Journal Of Multicultural Counseling And Development, (4), 275. doi:10.1002/jmcd.12021 Reply Quote Email Author Hide 2 replies 1 month ago Mohammad Tirmazi WALDEN INSTRUCTOR MANAGER RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 Ms. Roberts COLLAPSE Thank you for an insightful post about the importance of cultural competence as you provide some great suggestion in working with diverse populations. How do you think cultural humility and cultural competence differ? Should we be more focused on cultural sensitivity and awareness rather than cultural competence? Prof. Tirmazi Reply Quote Email Author 1 month ago Access the profile card for user: Roxanne Tracy RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 Morkesha, Roxanne Tracy COLLAPSE It is imperative to understand the barriers we as social workers will face. When working with people with mental illness, cultural competency and sensitivity is a therapeutic necessity. Considering how many different cultures there are in the world we must acknowledge that we need to be investigators, as well as further our knowledge base beyond our schooling. A social worker will face so many challenges regarding cultural competency. In Nguyen & Bornheimer (2014), obstacles that people in different cultures face when it comes to getting treatment for their mental illness is fraught with obstacles. Not only do certain cultures not recognize mental illness, they tend to hide their illness within their family structures. With the societal norms, and stigmas attached, it will make it very difficult for a person with a mental illness seek help. Overcoming that obstacle is wonderful, yet there are many other issues at hand. Language barriers, norms, values all come to play when helping people with mental illness (Nguyen & Bornheimer, 2014). As a social worker, the barriers one may face is lack of knowledge of other cultures, an inability to bridge the gap between knowledge base as well as the shame that is attached to mental illness in some cultures. References Nguyen, D., & Bornheimer, L. A. (2014). Mental health service use types among Asian Americans with a psychiatric disorder: considerations of culture and need. The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 41(4), 520-528. doi:10.1007/s Reply Quote Email Author 1 month ago Access the profile card for user: Elaina Gonzales-Blanton RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 Discussion Post 2 Working with Adolescents Elaina Gonzales-Blanton COLLAPSE According to (Cook, Kane, & Anderson, 2015) in order to be culturally competent when working with adolescents a person must be flexible, and be able to listen as well as be able to convey to the client that he or she is understood by the social worker and that their cultural norms are understood. In essence, to be culturally competent when working with adolescents a social worker must be able to relate to the child (Cook, Kane, & Anderson, 2015). Works Cited Cook, -C. C., Kane, C. S., & Anderson, L. M. (2015). The Elements of Counseling Children and Adolescents. New York: Springer Publishing Company, LLC. Reply Quote Email Author Hide 2 replies 1 month ago Mohammad Tirmazi WALDEN INSTRUCTOR MANAGER RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 Ms. Gonzales-Blanton COLLAPSE Thank you for an insightful post about the importance of cultural competence in working with children and families. How does the article you read support the culturally competent skills you mentioned? Did the article provide some skills or have a view of what cultural competence is and how it plays out in social work practice with children and families. Prof. Tirmazi Reply Quote Email Author Hide 1 reply 1 month ago Access the profile card for user: Elaina Gonzales-Blanton RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 Hello Professor, Elaina Gonzales-Blanton COLLAPSE The article I read goes into depth with this topic. Specifically, (Cook, Kane, & Anderson, 2015) explain the importance of meeting the child where he or she is at with their maturity, and comprehension and that the social worker must check and recheck with the child that he or she is able to understand what is being discussed. Therefore being culturally competent when working with a child first begins with setting the tone of the therapy at their level, and listening to the client to assess how much they understand. Which, given that communication, or lack thereof tends to be the root of most conflict, I would further say that active listening skills are also a great skilsl to have to aid in being culturally competent. Cook, -C. C., Kane, C. S., & Anderson, L. M. (2015). The Elements of Counseling Children and Adolescents. New York: Springer Publishing Company, LLC. Reply Quote Email Author 1 month ago Access the profile card for user: Shawn McKinney Shawn McKinney RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 COLLAPSE Discussion 1, Week 2 As a social worker, I must conduct the research and familiarize myself with the cultures and values that different ethnicities possess and I must apply rationality and the research to become an expert with the various cultures within my community that I am serving. As a social worker, who will be working with Veterans, I will be working for clients from various cultures and nations. According to, (Hajjar, 2009) “The United States military, being the most diverse military in the world, has struggled with addressing cultural-competence.” While I was in the military from 2006 to 2011, I was a witness of the sort of cultural competency issues that the military struggles with. I had a Korean friend of mine, who struggled to maintain eye contact with our drill-sergeants and the drill-sergeants began to belittle him and make fun of him and engaged in mocking him. As noted by (Kirst-Ashman K. & Hull G., 2015) various cultures such as Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders may be reluctant to maintain eye- contact, but that does not mean they are being disrespectful, it is just how they were taught in their culture. Being sensitive to different cultures is not only respectful to other citizens, but also builds credibility with clients, groups, and communities. By empowering ourselves with various behaviors, belief-systems, and values amongst the different cultures and backgrounds of the people that live in the United States, we build credibility at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels of generalist practice. Furthermore, by familiarizing my knowledge with the laws and regulations, such as The American with Disabilities Act, Equal Opportunity Commission (EEOC), The Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and the 1973 Rehabilitation Act, along with statistics of ethnicities that are in those various programs, I can ensure that I am prepared on what guidelines and procedures I need to follow to determine eligibility for the various programs. Another skill that is necessary to achieve cultural-competence amongst the group of Veterans that I will be working with is to follow the steps in the Generalist Intervention Model (GIM). Understanding clients from various races or ethnicities, along with their family background and cultural background will help me establish the engagement step and build that rapport with my client and demonstrate to him that I respect his culture and his values system. We should be competent is important aspects of our field, but just knowing is not enough, we must perform. I reviewed some information in an article, (Harrison & Turner, 2011) discussed some issues they have with the term ‘cultural-competence’ and the fact they felt there was too much ambiguity related to cultural-competence. It is not enough, as social workers, to memorize terms and laws. We must take the knowledge that we attain, and apply them to our practices and strive to be experts on research and implementation of the laws and cultural dynamics. Reply Quote Email Author Hide 2 replies 1 month ago Mohammad Tirmazi WALDEN INSTRUCTOR MANAGER RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 Mr. McKinney COLLAPSE Thank you for an insightful post about the importance of cultural competence. You provide some great culturally specific skills in working with your populations. It appears the article provides some useful suggestions in working with the military community. Do you think the skills mentioned by the author are applicable across all cultures? Can someone actually become culturally competent in a culture that is different from them? or should we focus on being culturally sensitive rather than culturally competent. Prof. Tirmazi Reply Quote Email Author Hide 1 reply 1 month ago Access the profile card for user: Shawn McKinney Shawn McKinney RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 COLLAPSE Some of the skills the author talked about are not applicable to all cultures. For example, if I am dealing with a caucasian, their background history and values differ from the African-American culture. I do realize that I have to keep an open-mind as a social worker because we are all different. If I, as a social worker, cannot approach every case on a case-by-case basis, then I don't feel I would be conducting my duties responsibly. Now the second part of your question: I do feel that we can become culturally- competent in a culture that we are not familiar with. Furthermore, we have to want to be competent and put in the work to ensure that we are. Research is a critical aspect of the social-work profession. I am curious, Dr. Tirmazi. Does the social work profession, have a database to reference cases, such as culture problems that social workers have faced and how they dealt with the issue, kind of like how lawyers cite cases? I do realize confidentiality has to be maintained, but the confidential information can be redacted. Can you let me know if you are aware of a database they we can reference? Shawn Reply Quote Email Author 1 month ago Access the profile card for user: Kristin Zimmerman RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 Kristin Zimmerman COLLAPSE I know in my Undergraduate degree I had a semester on cultural differences around the globe and understanding dietary culture from many difference countries. I know just in Italy alone there was at least 4 different cultures an Italian could relate to based on geography. Although I believe it will be necessary to improve through further education post graduation I think cultural diversity will be something of a challenge and experience all on it’s own in an elementary school setting. One skill that will be helpful will be helping students identify their own identity and other minority groups. A large cultural diversity that alienates minorities from mainstream in the US is language. Especially if English is a second language and they don’t feel comfortable they are strong speakers. Many schools have a strong Spanish speaking population, the article by Colombo created games, storytelling and activities in both languages.(Colombo, 2007) Helping students strengthen their ability to communicate with confidence. Teasley, M. L. (2005). Perceived Levels Of Cultural Competence Through Social Work Education And Professional Development For Urban School Social Workers. Journal of Social Work Education, 41(1), 85-98. doi:10.5175/jswe.2005. Colombo, M. W. (2007). Developing Cultural Competence: Mainstream Teachers and Professional Development. Multicultural Perspectives,9(2), 10-16. doi:10.1080/ Reply Quote Email Author Hide 4 replies 1 month ago Mohammad Tirmazi WALDEN INSTRUCTOR MANAGER RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 Ms. Zimmerman COLLAPSE Thank you for an insightful post about the importance of cultural competence. How does the article you read support the culturally competent skills you mentioned? Did the article provide some skills or have a view of what cultural competence is and how it plays out in social work practice with the populations you selected? Prof. Tirmazi Reply Quote Email Author Hide 1 reply 1 month ago Access the profile card for user: Kristin Zimmerman RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 Professor Tirmazi, Kristin Zimmerman COLLAPSE In the Teasley article I learned about the need for post graduate development for being culturally competant with african american students. This way ccreating skills that would help interactions with that cultural group through helping children find their own identity and being open to each child's cultural identity. In the Colombo article I learned the about the skill of working with children who speak spanish and helping other languages through game playing in both their language and english, and story telling. Reply Quote Email Author 1 month ago Access the profile card for user: Roxanne Tracy RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 Kristin, Roxanne Tracy COLLAPSE I think the barrier for you regarding working with elementary school aged children would really be a matter of lack of education on development of children. For example, I do not have children and I really am not around children very often. I have studied childhood development, and of course it was most informative. I believe a barrier for me would be my lack of immersion with children. For you, that barrier could exist as well if say, you did not have children or had not been exposed to children. On top of that a social worker would most certainly have to be as educated as possible on cultural differences, competency and sensitivity. The world is becoming smaller, and smaller, and because of that we are more apt to come across many different cultures in our practice. One example I can think of would be how do children view the adults in their world across cultures? In Im & Swadener (2016), children from different cultural backgrounds expressed their views on certain subjects. What came across very clear was that in the United States the citizens are much more individualistic and although children may be taught to honor the adults in their life simply because they are adults, in other cultures they are taught that it is imperative that they do, such as in Korea. Children are taught to address adults much differently in Korea then they are in the states (Im & Swadener, 2016). Educators and social workers alike need to be aware of how children are taught, what their social and familial structures are grounded in as well as how professionals should interact with different cultures. References Im, H., & Swadener, E. B. (2016). Children voice their kindergarten experiences: a cross- cultural exploratory study in Korea and the US. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, (1), 28. Reply Quote Email Author Hide 1 reply 1 month ago Access the profile card for user: Kristin Zimmerman RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 Roxanne, Kristin Zimmerman COLLAPSE I agree that could be a large cultural barrier if one didn't have experience with children. I feel fairly confident with children as a group after studying child psychology as a part of my undergraduate and I have two of my own children. I see this as more of a strength for myself. I enjoy working with children who have learning disabilities as that was/is a struggle of mine and both of my children. I also agree that children from different cultures and their view of adults and even women might be a rather new experience needing more cultural competence skills for myself. I am hoping to learn those skills as we proceed. Thank you for bringing that to my attention. Reply Quote Email Author Message Unread Mark as Unread Message Not Flagged Set Flag 1 month ago Access the profile card for user: tamer sabry tamer sabry RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 COLLAPSE Two recent events have made the need for “cultural competence”— understanding the specific cultural, language, social and economic nuances of particular people and families—more important than ever. One is the civil rights movement that began in the 1950s, in which African-Americans, women, gays and lesbians, people with disabilities and other minority groups alerted the country to their distinct identities and long histories of oppression. The other is the growing number of new immigrants to this country, who bring with them unique cultural, language, religious, and political backgrounds. Histories of internal displacement within their own countries, torture, political oppression, and extreme poverty abound among immigrant communities. Melding these backgrounds with the history, experiences, and expectations of U.S. born ethnic and diverse populations creates both challenges and opportunities for social workers. It is fair to say that both helping professionals and society at large have a long way to go to gain cultural competence. Fortunately, social workers represent a group of service providers with a longstanding history of understanding both people’s differences and the impact of social injustices on their well-being. Today, many social workers are adding cultural competence to these already existing strengths and values, making them particularly well-equipped to deliver culturally competent care. Many schools of social work now include curricula on cultural competence, and the National Association of Social Workers recently developed standards that require social workers to strive to deliver culturally competent services to their increasingly diverse clientele. It is no exaggeration to say that a culturally competent provider can mean the difference between a person “making it” or “falling through the cracks.” Here is an extreme example. Latina social worker Josie has a brother with schizophrenia who speaks only Spanish. When her brother failed to receive culturally competent care over a 20-year period, he was hospitalized 162 times. When he finally did receive culturally competent care, he was hospitalized only once in 15 years. Language differences affect both majority and minority populations. For example, a refugee from war-torn Bosnia doesn’t understand English, and he lacks both material and financial resources. If he doesn’t get help, he faces many potential dangers that result from poverty and an inability to access the system. A social worker trained in culturally competent care connects him with a range of social services—the traditional assistance provided by social workers. In addition, she introduces him to a group of other Bosnians who have undergone similar experiences thus, providing an added support that she’s aware of because of her extra training. Another example of how a culturally competent as a social worker can have an impact on people’s lives is in the area of international adoptions. Social workers trained in cultural competence can help adoptive parents understand their adopted child’s cultural heritage and create activities to keep the child’s culture alive. Adding this dimension to the child’s assimilation can foster the youngster’s sense of identity and make the adoption experience a smoother and happier one for both parents and child. For Asian Americans, families are their primary source of support; thusly, they tend to keep problems inside the family rather than sharing them with others. A social worker who is culturally competent will, therefore, provide a brief, task- oriented therapy that respects their privacy and helps them achieve concrete goals, instead of providing traditional Western-style therapy that is more individualistic and analytical. Similarly, African Americans often come from backgrounds that include extended family bonds and a strong, community-oriented spiritual life. Trained social workers will make sure these cultural realities become an integral part of therapy by often times including other family members in therapy. Culturally competent services are needed beyond race and ethnicity. Culturally competent social workers are also better able to address issues of gender and help persons with disabilities, older adults, gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender people. A working knowledge of these groups’ cultures and values helps social workers tailor care so it is effective and appropriate for their clients’ needs. It can be persuasively argued that effective care is impossible without a working knowledge and understanding of a person’s or group’s culture and background. As we move into an ever more pluralistic and multicultural society, social workers are among those best-equipped to deliver that care and to empower people from all backgrounds to lead connected, healthy lives. References: Balgopal, P.R. (1995). Asian Americans Overview. In R.L. Edwards (Ed.-in-Chief), Encyclopedia of Social Work (19th ed., Vol. 1, pp. 216-225). Washington, D.C.: NASW Press. Leashore, B.R. (1995). African Americans Overview. In R.L. Edwards (Ed.-in-Chief), Encyclopedia of Social Work (19th ed., Vol. 1, pp. 101-115). Washington, D.C.: NASW Press. Lewis, R.G. (1995). American Indians. In R.L. Edwards (Ed.-in-Chief), Encyclopedia of Social Work (19th ed., Vol. 1, pp. 231-237). Washington, D.C.: NASW Press. Schlesinger, E.G., Devore, W. (1995). Ethnic-Sensitive Practice. In R.L. Edwards (Ed.-in-Chief), Encyclopedia of Social Work (19th ed., Vol. 1, pp. 902-908). Washington, D.C.: NASW Press. Wax, T.M. (1995). Deaf Community. In R.L. Edwards (Ed.-in-Chief), Encyclopedia of Social Work (19th ed., Vol. 1, pp. 679-684). Washington, D.C.: NASW Press. Lavins, L. Language, culture, poverty, insurance: The Latino Healthcare Maze. (2002, Sept. 2). Social Work Today, pp. 22-23. NASW (2001) Standards for Cultural Competence in Social Work Practice. Washington, DC: Author. U.S. Public Health Service (2001). Mental Health: Culture, Race, and Ethnicity. A Supplement to Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General. Washington, DC: US Department of Health and Human Services. 1 month ago James Eggert RE: Discussion 1 - Week 2 COLLAPSE There has been a lot of articles and research done to define how social workers could be more affective in meeting the needs of a particular population. However, from personal experience, you can’t be affective if you are not willing to get your hands dirty. For example, I spent almost 2 years as a military contractor in the middle-east. I ate with the soldiers, slept in the same conditions as the soldiers, and used the same latrine as the soldiers. I was immersed in their world. Whatever group a social worker decides to work with, he/she has to be willing to be immersed in their culture. If a social worker has the desire to work with military it is important for that individual to take advantage of volunteering at a VA Hospital, take a social work position overseas at a military base, etc. In other words, you need to get out of your comfort zone and experience the harsh reality of military life. You don’t have to go into combat, but you do need a basic foundation, a focal point where you can connect with the soldier. Furthermore, it is important to realize that each soldier exper