Culture & Values: How these factors influence child welfare work Module 1- Section 1

PURPOSE This section explores how trainees’ values affect their casework and explains value conflicts that may arise in practice.

Competencies 1. The trainees understand the concept of disproportionality and disparity for children in the child welfare system. 2. The trainees understand the fundamental concepts of culture: –Understand how one’s own culture affects one’s perceptions, behavior, and values –Know how cultural differences can affect the delivery of child welfare services especially disproportionality.

Objectives Upon completion you should be able to: Explain how ones cultural lens impacts how one views and perceives other families and their cultural lens, Explain how individual values impact work in child welfare, and Understand that their cultural lens may affect placement, reunification, and adoption of children from different cultures.

Importance of Culture in Child Welfare Work Racial disproportionality is a reality in child welfare on both the national and local levels.

Importance of Culture in Child Welfare Work The incidence of child abuse and neglect was clearly associated with poverty, single parenthood, and certain other related factors.

Colorado Demographic Profile Data

Open Involvement by Race & Ethnicity FY 2011

Demographics of Children in Out of Home Placement

CHECK HERE FOR MORE DATA You can find this data and more on the CDHS website: ChildYouthFam/CBON/

Understanding Our Culture Understanding our own culture and those of the families you will work with is critical to everything you do in child welfare.

Definition of Culture How would you define culture? Which of the following answers do you think is correct? Culture is the values, symbols, interpretations, and perspectives that distinguish: a)One country from another in modernized societies b)One people from another in society c)One family from another in society d)One person from another in society e)All of the above

Implicit Biases What do you think “implicit biases” refers to? Using the first thoughts that enter your mind, match the following individuals to the vehicles you think they drive: A. B. C

Implicit Biases Now match the following the following animals with the words below: 1.Sweet 2. Loving 3. Calm A. B.C.

Stereotypes To better understand how stereotypes may be tied to implicit bias, here is a brief video for you to watch. As you watch this video, think about how the people’s stereotypes people are discussing may be or lead to implicit bias. Click on the link to watch the video Video Link: om/watch?v=Q1wztU J4VVE

The Culture Prism “There are multiple ‘prisms’ within which culture must be viewed when we work with families from different cultures.” J.W. Leigh, Communicating for Cultural Competence, Allyn & Bacon,

The Culture Prism Cultural group and “central tendencies” Group’s experiences within majority culture Individual client’s perspective Own culture and worldview

Worldviews Time

Worldviews Work

Worldviews Space

Worldviews Language HELLO. HOLA. BONJOUR. GUTEN TAG. KONNICHIWA.

Worldviews Roles

Worldviews Group/Individual

Worldviews Ritual/Superstition

Worldviews Social Communication

Worldviews Class and status

Worldviews Values

Being culturally responsive is an ongoing process Look at your own beliefs, worldviews, and values, and understanding how these things influence your interaction with clients.

Activity and Discussion Using the Handout 1-d, Understanding Your Own Culture and Values, complete this self- assessment activity. Review Handout 1-c, White Privilege Checklist You will need to be prepared to talk about both of these handouts during the webinar at the end of this module.