1. Building Multicultural Competence
Pamela A. Hays, Ph.D.
11/7/2018

2. The Personal Work (9am-12pm) -Personal qualities & essential knowledge
Agenda
The Personal Work (9am-12pm)
-Personal qualities & essential knowledge
-Cultural self-assessment
Lunch (12-1pm)
The Interpersonal Work (1-4pm)
-Understanding identities
-Building relationships
-ADDRESSING Culture in the Classroom
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3. The ADDRESSING Framework
Cultural Influences Minority Groups
Age/generational Children, adolescents, elders
Developmental disabilities People with developmental disabilities
Disabilities acquired People with disabilities acquired later in life
Religion & Spirituality Religious minority cultures
Ethnic & racial identity Ethnic & racial minority cultures
Socioeconomic status People of lower status by educ, income,
occup, rural/urban habitat
Sexual orientation Gay, lesbian, & bisexual people
Indigenous heritage Indigenous/Aboriginal/Native people
National origin Refugees, immigrants, international students
Gender Women, transgender people
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4. Two Categories of Work
Personal
Interpersonal
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5. Personal Work
a) Personal Qualities
b) Essential Knowledge
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6. A major obstacle to the development of these Qualities, Abilities & Knowledge is DEFENSIVENESS.
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7. What led to your defensive feelings?
Think of a situation with a person in which you began feeling defensive:
What led to your defensive feelings?
What were your physical sensations & emotions?
What were you thinking?
What did you do? What did you say?
What did the other person do & say?
Did you spiral down or were you able to stop the spiral?
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8. Preventing Defensive Behaviors
Become aware of physical sensations related to feelings of defensiveness.
In the moment, take a deep breath, exhale slowly, and focus on your breath.
Refrain from defensive behaviors .
Ask yourself: What does this person want?
Try focusing on the content (vs. voice tone, volume, or nonverbal behaviors ).
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9. Preventing Defensive Behaviors…
6. Question the need for this person's views to match your own.
7. Reframe irritations & annoyances as opportunities for growth.
8. Recognize your need for additional information and/or experience.
9. If appropriate, discuss the limitations of your knowledge and experience with the person.
10. If appropriate & possible, use humor.
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10. Essential Knowledge 1. Bias is best thought of as a tendency to
think, act, or feel in a particular way.
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11. Essential Knowledge…
2. We’re all biased but we don’t all belong to dominant cultural groups.
3. Bias + Power = Systems of privilege
(‘isms).
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12. Essential Knowledge…
4. Nonprivileged members are socialized to be aware of the lines separating those who have privilege from those who do not.
5. Privileged members are socialized to ignore these lines & differences.
6. Privilege separates people & cuts both Privileged & Nonprivileged off from valuable knowledge.
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13. Cultural Self-Assessment
Age/generational--
Developmental disabilities--
Disabilities acquired later in life--
Religion & Spirituality--
Ethnic & racial identity--
Socioeconomic status--
Sexual orientation--
Indigenous heritage--
National origin--
Gender --
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14. Values Permeating Psychotherapy
emotional expressiveness
individualism & independence
assertiveness
self-disclosure
verbal skills
insight
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15. ADDRESSING Cultural Influences on Ourselves
Name 3 values supported by your family, peers, & culture as you were growing up. Did the dominant culture support these values?
Were these values shaped by any social movements during your teenage & early adult years?
How do these values relate to your current occupation?
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16. Resolving Value Conflicts
Look for a shared or similar value.
Recognize differences in expression of a value.
Recognize differences in the priority given to values.
Use positive language to describe these differences.
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17. 3 Ways to Fill Knowledge Gaps & Change Bias
Individual work
Critical thinking re: info
Peer-level, close relationships w/ diverse people
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18. II. The Interpersonal Work: Understanding Identities
When developing hypotheses, use the ADDRESSING framework as a reminder of identities that may be meaningful for a person.
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19. Understanding Identities
Remember that a particular identity may have one meaning in the dominant culture, another in a minority culture, & another person-specific meaning.
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20. Questions for Clients a. How would you describe yourself?
b. Would you tell me about your cultural heritage or background?
c. Did you have a religious upbringing? Do you have a religious connection or spiritual practice now?
d. How would you describe your childhood? What was your family’s economic situation growing up?
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21. Questions for Clients…
e. Do you have experience with disability, or been a caregiver for someone who does?
f. Are there ways in which your disability is part of this… [presenting problem]?
g. What did it mean to grow up as a girl/boy in your culture and family?
h. Do you currently have a partner? Could you tell me about the significant intimate relationships you have had?
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22. Understanding Identities
3. Be aware of your own perceived/visible identity re: interactions with clients & students.
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23. Understanding Identities: Questions for Oneself
a. How am I being perceived by this person, based on my visible identity?
b. How might my identities interact with those of this person?
c. How might my identities and experiences limit my understanding of this person?
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24. Building Relationships
1. Remember respect.
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25. Culturally Related Personal Strengths
pride in one’s culture
religious faith or spirituality
artistic and musical abilities
bilingual and multilingual skills
group-specific social skills
sense of humor
culturally-related knowledge and practical skills (e.g., fishing, hunting, farming, medicinal plants)
culture-specific beliefs that help one cope (e.g., with racism, prejudice, discrimination)
respectful attitude towards the natural environment
commitment to helping one’s own group (i.e., through social action)
wisdom from experience
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26. Interpersonal Cultural Supports
extended families including non-blood-related
cultural or group-specific networks
religious communities
traditional celebrations and rituals
recreational, playful activities
story-telling activities that make meaning and pass on history of the group
involvement in political/social action group
a child who excels in school
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27. Environmental Cultural Supports
altar in home to honor deceased family members
space for prayer and meditation
culture-specific art and music
culturally preferred foods for cooking & eating
animals to care for
gardening area
access to outdoors for subsistence or recreational fishing, hunting, farming, observing night sky
communities that facilitate social interaction by location or design
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28. Building Relationships
2. Adapt to the person’s language pace.
3. Do not assume knowledge of an individual’s personal experience, even if you are knowledgeable about their culture.
4. Be prepared for the possibility of multiple relationships.
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29. Building Relationships…
5. Be aware of different meanings of nonverbal communication (gestures, eye contact, silence).
6. Recognize cultural differences re: physical space.
7. Do not touch assistive devices without asking.
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30. Building Relationships…
8. Consider what your office location, accessibility, and furnishings communicate.
9. Avoid psychological jargon and if the other person uses it, ask about its meaning.
10. Continually use critical thinking re: meanings of verbal & nonverbal communication.
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31. Instructor Students Course content Teaching methods
ADDRESSING Culture in the Classroom: Four Dimensions Of Teaching & Learning
Instructor
Students
Course content
Teaching methods
(Marchesani & Adams, 1992)
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32. ADDRESSING Culture: Program Strategies
Course requirements (1 cr3crintegration)
Integrate required readings throughout program
Diversity committee of faculty, staff, students
Use ADDRESSING acronym to comb all written and visual materials for diversity.
Fund guest speakers.
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33. Assessing Clients’ Needs
1. Respect cultural norms re: styles of questioning & types of questions.
2. Look for multiple sources of info & think systemically.
3. Use cultural history to understand personal history.
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34. Assessing Clients’ Needs
4. Ask about the client’s understanding of the situation, problem, and health care practices.
5. Develop Tx plans, set goals, & choose interventions collaboratively.
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35. Assessing Clients’ Needs
6. Consider family systems.
a. Define family broadly
b. Recognize power differentials
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36. Is power distributed by:
Age or generational status (including couples with a large age difference)? How does this interact with gender?
DD physical or mental abilities?
Religious commitment or leadership? Interaction w/ gender?
Ethnic or Indigenous heritage (e.g. Who holds the dominant cultural identity in bi- or multicultural couples/families? Are there differences in status related to skin color or other ethnically related characteristics?)
Socioeconomic status (i.e. Who makes the money, or holds the highest status by income, education, or occupation?)
Sexual orientation (Do LGBT members hold lower status?)
National origin (e.g. Who is a citizen or holds a work visa? Who speaks English most fluently)?
Gender?
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37. Assessing Clients’ Needs
7. When judging unusual perceptions, beliefs or behaviors, recognize cultural differences.
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38. Preventing Inaccurate Conclusions
1. How might my judgment be influenced by the ADDRESSING influences on me?
2. Might there be some info I don’t have that is important in understanding the client’s view?
3. Could there be a positive, culturally related purpose for the behavior, belief, or feeling that I judge dysfunctional?
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39. Assessing Clients’ Needs
8. Remember: a traumatic experience is culturally influenced and person- specific.
9. Be careful re: the use of diagnoses,
especially Personality Disorders.
Actively look for culturally related
strengths and supports.
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40. Strengths & Supports: Key Questions
What do you consider your strengths & supports? What would your mom/kids/friend say?
Do you have a connection to any religion or spiritual practice?
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