Cultural Competency
Welcome to Sojourner Recovery Services’ training on Cultural Competency. Below you will find some general information on this subject as well as agency guidelines about how we demonstrate cultural competency. This is not intended to be a comprehensive training and further training may be required. If you have questions or concerns, please contact your supervisor or an administrator.
Purpose:
The purpose of this training is to educate Sojourner staff about the challenges of the various communities we serve in order to enhance each client’s opportunity to recover and to demonstrate the respect in which we hold each community.
Introduction:
Cultural Competency is defined as “an organization’s ability to recognize, respect and address the unique needs, worth, thought, communications, actions, customs, beliefs, and values that reflect an individual’s racial, ethnic, religious and/or social groups or sexual orientation”. Sojourner will continue to offer trainings in this area on an on-going basis.
Some of the culturally diverse communities that we serve include the following:
African American Clients
Appalachian Clients
Hispanic Clients
Lesbian and Gay Clients
Clients from Poverty based families and/or social groups
Many times, people develop certain pre-conceived ideas about groups of people that are different from their own backgrounds. Usually these ideas are influenced by family members or social groups in which the individual affiliates. These stereotypes are generalizations about a group of people whereby we attribute a defined set of characteristics to this group. Stereotypical thinking is frequently difficult to change, despite information and education.
While each community may have specific values and beliefs, it is important to recognize issues that affect all. Some of these concerns include financial problems, poor health care options, education, and employment opportunities. Discrimination in the areas of housing, criminal justice and social acceptance affect the client’s ability to trust outside their community, as well.
Clients from these communities have a range of problems not necessarily created from their addictions. However, in treating these individuals it is important to be aware of how their experiences have affected their use and how their beliefs and attitudes toward professionals may deter their chances for recovery. Some of the defenses that the client may present include:
Denial, fear, anxiety and paranoia; anger and rage; guilt; self-pity; depression, with helplessness, hopelessness, and powerlessness; self-deception and development of false-self; passivity and the feeling of being a victim; inferiority and low self-esteem; isolation, alienation, and feeling alone, misunderstood or unique
Determining the severity of the impact of these defenses as well as effective ways to treat them may be discovered through the original assessment, treatment plans, individual and family sessions, and educational and therapeutic group sessions. The assessment will provide information including ethnic, financial, social and environmental background as well as use history. Through individual sessions and groups, information may be provided by the client that will assist in determining specific areas that need to be addressed in treatment plans. Some important behaviors on the staff’s part include:
· Empowering the client—this should be the primary goal. Giving the client the education and the tools will improve their self-concept.
· Honoring diversity
· Using non-judgmental language
· Avoiding labeling
· Do not confront, but support and explore their beliefs
· Respect
It is important for the employee to be aware of myths and stereotypes, and how they pervade our culture, in order to help the client not to be further injured by them. An informed and sensitive staff member can make an enormous difference.
Quiz Instructions:
1. Click on the link below to access the quiz
2. Print the page
3. Complete the quiz
4. Submit the completed quiz to your supervisor