Culturally Competency As A Social Worker

I have learned how to have a respect for diversity. Social workers serve a diverse array of clients in many different sectors of society. Diversity offers many challenges, but it also offers strengths that can be utilized to overcome obstacles. A social worker who understands this can effectively service clients. This placement has also helped me to understand the values of the social work profession in a multitude of ways.

Most importantly, the value of services to humanity is central to me and the foundation for the additional social work values that are central to me because it reflects the importance of helping others and having the ability to put others’ needs before my own, which I feel is the basis for effectively practicing social work. In addition, the social work values social justice and human dignity and worth reflect the importance of all individuals having access to all resources, opportunities, and equal treatment nondependent of their background, believes, or values. Equally important, the social work value of integrity is highly important in building a strong rapport with clients which is the foundation of the working relationship. Furthermore, competence is a social work value that is central to me

Who I identify as, including identifying as a social worker once I graduate, will have some level privilege and power attached to the chosen identities. Gelfand, Sillivan, and Steinhouse (2002) noted that there are may dimensions that influence our personal and professional relationships with others, and these dimensions shape how we see and interact with, include or exclude them, and ways that we oppress or discriminate against them. As a social worker whose clients share my same identity, we may benefit by my having a shared understanding of cultural norms and expectations to reach a common goal. For clients who share commonalities with me, we may benefit by being able to work more collaboratively and possibly a more trusting relationship than one that must be built over time. However, just as similarities can be empowering, I must remember that the client knows best despite our shared identities that may speak otherwise.

Introduction The purpose of this thesis paper is to gathered information in regard of having any bias within my work field of social work. I am a graduate student working on a master degree in the area of the social work field. It is important to be self-aware of own self in order to assist client when receiving services. Being culturally competent is very important when it comes to have cultural competency skills. I will be discussing different topics in order to skin any bias that could impede in providing services to diverse population.

(2011) stated that relationship-based practice is important because it encourages a practitioner to act in the service user’s best interests by “holistically understanding the service user’s response to a certain situation.” This includes understanding their cultural backgrounds, needs and values so that their response is supported and understood. Wilson et al. (2011) suggests that relationship-based practice is important in a social work setting as it understands that human behaviour and the professional relationship is an essential component on any professional intervention. The relationship based practise emphases the importance of the ‘use of self’ in interventions as it contributes to a professional’s experiences (Ruch, et al., 2010). This is supported by the professional capabilities framework (PCF) domain one (Professionalism) as it states the importance of making skilled use of self as part of interventions that aim to help clients and being able to maintain awareness of own professional limitations and knowledge

Social workers will have clients from all types of cultures and backgrounds that are exremely different than their own, and it is important for the social worker to be able to work with the client in a way that adhears to the Code of Ethics while at the same time respecting the client’s culture in the most

This system of oppression gave power and control those in the dominant group and allowed the inequality to persist. In today’s social work profession, it is constantly addressed that social workers should be prepared to work with any population in the community. Social workers are taught to be sensitive and aware of their power. By doing so, better client-worker relationships are build and better service results are achieved. Social workers are taught to be aware of their power, so that they are not controlling the client 's decision, but rather teaching them how to make their own decisions.

As an educator we should know and understand our own culture identity which is the first step to become a culturally competent practitioner. From that we will get to know how our cultural experience has moulded our own life which made us capable to acknowledge how these features impact on others. A culturally competent educator can communicate delicately and effectively with people who have different languages, cultures, religions, genders, ethnicities, disabilities, ages and sexualities and this educator will attempt to provide services which are consistent to the needs and values of the families and children by acknowledging them, and responding to them correctly. An Educator need to improve skills, knowledge, attitudes, perceptions and practices

Cultural competence is one of the social issues I care most about because I believe it can allow one to have a better overall understanding of the population that is worked with in this field. Some may fail to recognize that being culturally competent emphasizes more than just race and ethnicity, but also entails members of the LGBTQ community, the elderly population, and even individuals with disabilities. I believe a professional who has an understanding of the diverse populations can then successfully determine the best treatment and support system required to meet the client’s necessities. I think the best way the social work field could approach this social issue would be by exposing and providing future professionals with information

The main reasons for using group work in social work are meeting people’s need to belong and using mutual aid for empowerment while developing personal growth, enhancing social functioning, social goals and promoting social justice. The group worker main objective is to engage the group in activities that facilitate the overall growth and development of the group and of each member. There are two main types of groups namely treatment groups and task groups (Sowk unit 7 pg. 257). Group work is assists social workers through the use of intervention methods to provide assistance to help individual members to cope with and resolve existing problems in their psychosocial functioning, prevent anticipated problems, or maintain an acceptable level of functioning in situations.