cultural competence: supporting all families presented by diana autin, family voices @ span-nj at...
TRANSCRIPT
Cultural Competence:Supporting All Families
Presented by Diana Autin, Family Voices @ SPAN-NJAt the National Family Voices Conference, May, 2007
The Pebble in the Pond…
“Do unto others as they would have you do unto them.”
The Platinum Rule• “Seek first to
understand, then to be understood.”
Steven Covey
What Impacts Relationships?
• Status• Socially acceptable behavior• Body Language• How close we stand to each other• How we communicate & process
information• How we interpret silence• Comfort level with advocacy• How we approach & resolve conflict
What Impacts Relationships?
• Parenting roles and functions• Expectations of children• Beliefs about appropriate
developmental goals & independence• Views about needing and accepting
“help” from non-family members• Fears about being judged unfavorably
Cultural Continuum
• Cultural Destructiveness• Cultural Incapacity• Cultural Blindness• Cultural Pre-competence• Cultural Competence• Cultural Proficiency
Impact of American Cultural values
• Individual Success– Getting ahead– Making money
• Value & purpose of education
• Competition
Examine cultural values: Time
• What does it mean to be “on time?”
• How do you feel when someone arrives late to a meeting? Why?
Examine cultural values: Communication
• Verbal communication– Rates of speech– Voice modulation– Pauses– Use of silence– Time between Q&A
• What is rude? Polite?
Examine cultural values: Communication
• Nonverbal– Body language– Eye contact– Proximity– Deference– Respect
Cultural Scanning• Is the behavior
– Innocent– Ignorant– Insensitive– Racist
• How to respond? Do we– Know the person– Value the
relationship– Have a history
Cultural Reciprocity with Families
• Challenging power• Assuming risks• Sharing stories &
ourselves• Listening with the
heart• Involving those
affected• Offering alternatives• Balancing the scales
of justice and equity• Holding ourselves
accountable
How Change Happens
“Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never has and it never will.”
-Frederick Douglas
Agents of Cultural Competence
• Understand context, barriers to change, and stages of change
• Listen• Respond• Advocate• Pursue change• Intervene at the
systems level• Team with others• Facilitate
Leadership in Cultural Competence
• Inspire and help people work toward the goal
• Share leadership• Recognize diverse roles• Become self-aware• Accept responsibility• Ask for help• Be open to constructive
criticism• Encourage & motivate
partners
Know Yourself
• Who am I?• What am I doing here• What are my:
– Goals, purposes– Expectations– Motivations?
• What strengths & challenges do I bring?
• How can I best use my skills?
• How can I make space for others?
Know Yourself
• In my family, children are expected to ___
• I feel like an outsider when _______
• I believe the most important thing in life is ______________
• My ethnic or cultural heritage is important to me because _____
Self-Reflection• Roots, places of
origin• Ethnic group, socio-
economic class, religion, age group, community
• Social interactions with people from ethnic groups, socioeconomic classes, religions, age groups or communities different from your own
Self-Reflection• Speaking language
other than English• Attitudes of your
family of origin on people from different backgrounds
• Values, beliefs, cultural messages re:– Family– Child-rearing– External relationships– Community– Health– Education
Traits needed for Cultural Competence
• Trust• Hope• Shared
relationships• Honesty• Openness• Flexibility• Love
Gaining Community Trust• Trust is not
automatic; it must be earned and it can be lost.
• Trust must be two-way: those who are not trusted, do not trust.
• Trust leads to belief in each other and in a cause.
Developing Trust
• Be honest about the problems, the barriers, the potential negative consequences – as well as the potential benefit of action
Developing Trust
• Be in it for the long haul. Don’t abandon ship after the first disappointment or failure.
• Admit mistakes.• Ask for help!!!• LISTEN!!!• Acknowledge others’
contributions.
Honesty
• I don’t know.• I haven’t had this
experience before.• I’m confused.• I need your help.• I don’t understand.• I made a mistake.
Openness
• Openness means letting go of the present to focus on what could be.
• “What would it look like, feel like, smell like, taste like, sound like, if it was good?”
Flexibility
• Flexibility means willingness to change behavior based on circumstances and need.
• How have people accommodated your needs?
Moving toward cultural competence
• How do we get there?
• What supports are needed?
• What is each of our roles in providing those supports?
• How can it be sustained?
To See Clearly
• It is only with the heart that one can see clearly; what is essential is invisible to the eye. – The Little Prince Antoine de Saint
Exupery
The Chinese characters that make up the verb “to listen” tell us something about this
skill.
Gathering Community Knowledge
• Communities know:– Their history:
where they have been
– Their culture: who they are
– Sacred places– Dangerous places– What is important
to them
Gathering community knowledge
• Encourage and support community members to find their voice.
• Be ready to hear what community members say.
• Respect the passion of the community for change.
Sharing Community Knowledge
• Tell stories within the community to build shared knowledge
• Listen to the stories of families
• Help families share their stories with each other
Partnering for Cultural Competence
• Committed Leadership from all partners
• Maintaining a partnership with good communication, clear decision-making, & specific responsibilities
Myth: Cultural differences are unimportant
• Thoughts– All people should be
treated “the same”
• Feelings– Pressure– Resentment
• Behaviors– Failure to
accommodate differences
Reality: Cultural Differences are Strengths to Build on
• Thoughts– Cultural differences
are strengths
• Feelings– Curiosity– Interest– Appreciation
• Behaviors– Affirm differences– Seek learning
opportunities
Building Cultural Competence
• Quality information:– Develop accurate
“map” of strengths & needs of families from diverse communities –who’s important, what’s important, relationships
• Formal• Informal
– Know how others have addressed these issues
Building Cultural Competence
• Ongoing:•Planning•Implementation•Evaluation•Revision of plan
Developing a Plan
• Who will do what?• Under what
conditions?• To what extent?• What resources
do we need?• How will we
measure?
Specific Suggestions
• Allow time for reflection, don’t always fill silent spaces
• Engage community leaders and cultural liaisons
• Modify communication methods, processes and materials to respond to individual circumstances
• Provide ongoing training and support in diversity, cultural competence, flexibility
• Provide qualified, trained and prepared interpreters when needed
Implementing Changes to Enhance Cultural
Competence
• Bring about changes
• Monitor implementation to make sure improvements take place
CommitmentPeople say, what is the sense of our small effort.They cannot see that we must lay one brick at a time, take one step at a time.A pebble cast into a pond causes ripples that spread in all directions. Each one of our thoughts, words and deeds is like that.No one has a right to sit down and feel hopeless.There’s too much work to do.