Cultural Competence

Cultural Competence Sweetser Organizational Orientation

What is Cultural Competency?

A set of congruent behaviors, attitudes and policies that come together in a system, agency or among professionals that enable them to work effectively in cross-cultural situations.

What does that mean !! • Acceptance & respect • Self assessment • Attention to differences • Ongoing development regarding knowledge • Resources & flexibility

What it does NOT mean Cultural competency does not refer to the establishment or maintenance of diversity per se. The concept of competency is not related to numbers of representation, either in clients or in service providers.

Why is Cultural Competency Important? • Helps to reduce barriers to treatment and effective treatment utilization. • It can facilitate the development of trust and enhance an individual’s investment and continued participation in treatment • Facilitate new approaches in service delivery to consumers

Personal & Professional Goals in Attaining Cultural Competence • To work more effectively and respectfully with ALL client populations • To incorporate and apply each individual’s values and beliefs in order or better address and meet his or her individual service or treatment needs

SO…HOW DO WE BECOME AWARE OF CULTURAL DIFFERENCES?

WE CAN: • Maintain a Curiosity & Interest re: other’s • Previous Life Experiences • Moral, Religious, Ethic or Cultural Values • Behavior across a wide spectrum of situations • Family, geographic, cultural or ethnic Origins • Respect and Honor individual, cultural differences

WE CAN: • Seek to first understand our clients before requiring compliance or demanding any response from them • Make no assumptions about others beliefs • “Own” our biases and acknowledge perhaps painfully inaccurate assumptions!

WE CAN: • Be open to new values and perspectives • Do something to challenge our biases • Place yourself in new situations in order to gain perspective • What else?

So What is CULTURE?

“CULTURE”is the system of shared beliefs, values, customs, behaviors and artifacts that the members of society use to cope with their world and with one another, and that are transmitted from generation to generation through learning. • “Culture refers to norms of behavior and shared values among a group of people” • People learn culture: that is culture’s essential* feature *The "essence" of something is that part or property from which a “thing's” identity is derived. In other words, if you take away the essence of a thing, it loses its identity

The Culturally Sensitive Mental Health Provider: • Is open & curious to learn client’s cultural identification • Openly discusses racial and ethnic differences/sameness • Recognize and curbs own stereotypes • Notices own assumptions; asks questions to clarify • Assesses the significance of clients cultural influences • Recognizes and utilities cultural resources for client

Personal Space Eye Contact Feedback Behaviors Gesturing Interruption & Turn-Taking Facial Expressions Silence Dominance Volume Touching Culturally-Sensitive Communication

Need for Language Accommodations • For non-English-speaking clientele • DBDS Resources for translator services • Interpreter v. translator services • For individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing TTY: Telecommunications Device for the Deaf Contact IS 294-4500

Examining“STEREOTYPED” THINKING:Clichés, Biases, Impressions, Assumptions ALL teenagers are..... ALL Massachussetts drivers are... People who have different values are... MOST Peace Protestors are... People Who Live in Rural Countries are... Gays & Lesbians Are.. DO THE WORDS “ALL” or “MOST” AFFECT YOUR CHOICES WHEN DESCRIBING THE ABOVE?

Respectful of the individual Strengths-Based Effective Service Delivery Good for everyone Empowering Assuring Cultural Competency means:

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Cultural Competence