Cultural Responsiveness: Supporting Line Staff

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Cultural Responsiveness Supporting Line Staff

• Presented By
• Jorge Velázquez, Jr., MPA

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Our Discussion

• Introductions
• Relevant Terms and Concepts
• Knowing where you are
• Ethnicity and Racial Identity
• Activities
• Why pay attention to Cultural Competency
• Perceptions
• Summary

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Culture

• Culture (Latin cultura, to cultivate)
• the integrated pattern of human knowledge,
  belief, and behavior that depends upon the
  capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge
  to succeeding generations
• the customary beliefs, social forms, and material
  traits of a racial, religious, or social group
• the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and
  practices that characterizes an institution or
  organization the set of values, conventions, or
  social practices associated with a particular
  field, activity, or societal characteristic. 1
• 1 From http//www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary
  /culture

4
Competence

• Competence
• Competence concerns the actions and behaviors
  identified by change agents as contributing in
  their experience to the perceived effectiveness
  of change implementation.
• Competencies are those behaviors required for
  satisfactory (threshold competence) or
  excellent (superior competence) performance in
  a job. 2
• 2 From http//wps.prenhall.com

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Cultural Competence

• The ability of individuals and systems to respond
  respectfully and effectively to people of all
  cultures, classes, races, ethnic backgrounds,
  sexual orientations, and faiths or religions-in a
  manner that recognizes, affirms, and values the
  worth of individuals, families, tribes, and
  communities, and protects and preserves the
  dignity of each. 3
• 3 From http//www.cwla.org/programs/culturalcomp
  etence, June 30, 2008.

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Where Am IQuestionnaire
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Discussion
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Cultural Humility

• Cultural Humility 4
• Continually engage in self-reflection and
  self-critique.
• Check power imbalances that exist in the dynamics
  of case worker/manager-family/client.
• Develop and maintain mutually respectful and
  dynamic partnerships with communities on behalf
  of families/clients.
• Acknowledge the individuals own cultural
  perspective (sometimes referred to as their
  world view).
• 4 Adapted from Murray-Garcia, J. Tervalon,
  M., (1998). Cultural humility versus cultural
  competence A critical distinction in defining
  physician training outcomes in multicultural
  education. Journal of Health Care for the Poor
  and Underserved, 9(2), 117.

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Connecting Cultural Competence With Cultural
Humility

• A cultural competence framework calls for expert
  knowledge and understanding the diverse and
  complex needs of people from various cultural
  groups.
• Being competent in cultures other than our own is
  an important management skill.
• A cultural humility perspective challenges us to
  learn from the people with whom we work (other
  managers, supervisors, workers, clients), reserve
  judgment, and bridge the cultural divide between
  our perspectives. 5
• 5 Adapted from presentation for the National
  Child Welfare Workforce Institute, by Dr. Robert
  M. Ortega and Dr. Kathleen Coulborn, University
  of Michigan School of Social Work, 2011.

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• Cultural Competence
• Cultural Humility
• Cultural Responsiveness

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Skills for Bridging Perspectives

• Active listening focusing attention on what is
  being said and responding in culturally
  appropriate ways to indicate you are listening.
• Reflecting using the persons words to say back
  to them what it is you heard.
• Reserving judgment Rather than mind-guard
  remain open to what is being said through
  remaining silent and letting their words sink in.
  
• Develop an understanding Try to enter their
  world, consider yourself in the context of the
  persons world (and as part of their culture and
  cultural experience).

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Video Clips

• Knowing Who You Are
• Helping youth in care develop their racial and
  ethnic identity.

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Questions for Supervisors/Managers

• What are your overall impressions of the practice
  concepts and issues brought up in the video clips
  regarding racial and ethnic identity?
• What 3 things highlighted would you want to
  address in the day to day practice of your unit
  or office?
• Did the film raise any red flags for you about
  current practices of working with youth and
  families around issues of cultural and ethnic
  identity? What are they? Possible solutions?
• How do these issues impact Family Involvement or
  Family Planning meetings?
• Ideas for working with staff on these concepts?

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Culture

• Culture (Latin cultura, to cultivate)
• the integrated pattern of human knowledge,
  belief, and behavior that depends upon the
  capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge
  to succeeding generations
• the customary beliefs, social forms, and material
  traits of a racial, religious, or social group
• the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and
  practices that characterizes an institution or
  organization the set of values, conventions, or
  social practices associated with a particular
  field, activity, or societal characteristic. 1
• 1 From http//www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary
  /culture

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Competence

• Competence
• Competence concerns the actions and behaviors
  identified by change agents as contributing in
  their experience to the perceived effectiveness
  of change implementation.
• Competencies are those behaviors required for
  satisfactory (threshold competence) or
  excellent (superior competence) performance in
  a job. 2
• 2 From http//wps.prenhall.com

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Cultural Competence

• The ability of individuals and systems to respond
  respectfully and effectively to people of all
  cultures, classes, races, ethnic backgrounds,
  sexual orientations, and faiths or religions-in a
  manner that recognizes, affirms, and values the
  worth of individuals, families, tribes, and
  communities, and protects and preserves the
  dignity of each. 3
• 3 From http//www.cwla.org/programs/culturalcomp
  etence, June 30, 2008.

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Cultural Humility

• Cultural Humility 4
• Continually engage in self-reflection and
  self-critique.
• Check power imbalances that exist in the dynamics
  of case worker/manager-family/client.
• Develop and maintain mutually respectful and
  dynamic partnerships with communities on behalf
  of families/clients.
• Acknowledge the individuals own cultural
  perspective (sometimes referred to as their
  world view).
• 4 Adapted from Murray-Garcia, J. Tervalon,
  M., (1998). Cultural humility versus cultural
  competence A critical distinction in defining
  physician training outcomes in multicultural
  education. Journal of Health Care for the Poor
  and Underserved, 9(2), 117.

Cultural Responsiveness Supporting Line Staff
jv/2012
18
Connecting Cultural Competence With Cultural
Humility

• A cultural competence framework calls for expert
  knowledge and understanding the diverse and
  complex needs of people from various cultural
  groups.
• Being competent in cultures other than our own is
  an important management skill.
• A cultural humility perspective challenges us to
  learn from the people with whom we work (other
  managers, supervisors, workers, clients), reserve
  judgment, and bridge the cultural divide between
  our perspectives. 5
• 5 Adapted from presentation for the National
  Child Welfare Workforce Institute, by Dr. Robert
  M. Ortega and Dr. Kathleen Coulborn, University
  of Michigan School of Social Work, 2011.

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• Cultural Competence
• Cultural Humility
• Cultural Responsiveness

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Skills for Bridging Perspectives

• Active listening focusing attention on what is
  being said and responding in culturally
  appropriate ways to indicate you are listening.
• Reflecting using the persons words to say back
  to them what it is you heard.
• Reserving judgment Rather than mind-guard
  remain open to what is being said through
  remaining silent and letting their words sink in.
  
• Develop an understanding Try to enter their
  world, consider yourself in the context of the
  persons world (and as part of their culture and
  cultural experience).

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Video Clips

• Knowing Who You Are
• Helping youth in care develop their racial and
  ethnic identity.

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Questions for Supervisors/Managers

• What are your overall impressions of the practice
  concepts and issues brought up in the video clips
  regarding racial and ethnic identity?
• What 3 things highlighted would you want to
  address in the day to day practice of your unit
  or office?
• Did the film raise any red flags for you about
  current practices of working with youth and
  families around issues of cultural and ethnic
  identity? What are they? Possible solutions?
• How do these issues impact Family Involvement or
  Family Planning meetings?
• Ideas for working with staff on these concepts?

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Why Racial and Ethnic Identity?

• The challenge of preserving ones sense of
  personal continuity over time, of establishing a
  sense of sameness of oneself, despite the
  necessary changes that one must undergo in terms
  of redefining the self (Harter, 1990.)
• During the process of identity development,
  especially during adolescence, we may experiment
  with multiple selves and multiple roles within a
  number of major dimensions, including religious
  affiliation, occupation, social class, gender,
  immigration status, sexual orientation, and race
  and ethnicity.
• http//www.casey.org/Resources/Initiatives/pdf/Kno
  wingWhoYouAreViewerGuide.pdf

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Why Racial and Ethnic Identity?

• Some of these identities are to be kept,
  nurtured, and committed to over a lifetime.
  Others are worn briefly and discarded.
• Development of a healthy racial and ethnic
  identity can help youth establish consistency in
  their life with regard to how they view
  themselves and can be an important anchor from
  which positive outcomes are possible.
• http//www.casey.org/Resources/Initiatives/pdf/Kno
  wingWhoYouAreViewerGuide.pdf

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Iceberg Analogy
Adapted by Jorge Velazquez from Gary R. Weaver,
"Understanding and Coping with Cross-cultural
Adjustment Stress. Culture, Communication and
Conflict Readings in Intercultural Relations,
2nd Ed., 1998.
? Where we tend to make assumptions and start to
draw conclusions about others inaccurate.
? Where we learn about others over time. Gaining
trust, through honest engagement. People tell
their story.
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Our Lenses

• Perception a awareness of the elements of
  environment through physical sensation ltcolor
  perceptiongt b physical sensation interpreted in
  the light of experience c quick, acute, and
  intuitive cognition appreciation d a capacity
  for comprehension. 4
• 4 From http//www.merriam-webster.com, June 30,
  2008

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Culture affects

• Values
• Beliefs
• Thoughts
• Communication
• Actions

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Cultural Competency

• Behaviors
• Attitudes
• Policies
• Enable systems, agencies or professionals to work
  effectively in cross-cultural situations.

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Why is this important?

• Cultural competence is an ongoing process, not a
  destination.
• By actively working on cultural competence and
  including its principles in our daily work, we
  enhance our ability to meet the needs of
  families, tribes and communities.
• Organizations that strive for cultural competence
  consistently work to achieve a better
  understanding of the needs of their service
  population.
• These organizations realize that their mission is
  to assist children and families achieve better
  outcomes and reach their goals by developing
  policies, programs, and practices which are
  culturally competent and linguistically
  appropriate for the diverse families we are
  working with today.

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Group Exercise
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Broader Cultural Influences
Informal Formal
Informal
Formal
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Why is this important?

• Culture defines us as individuals it makes us
  who we are.
• Everyone has culture, which influences how each
  of us sees others.
• Organizations have distinct cultures that are
  developed by their mission and goals.
• Communities have different cultures influenced by
  their members, the environment, and socioeconomic
  conditions.

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Final Thoughts