Cultural Competency: The Experience of CASS Care Ltd

Eva Liu & Doris Zhang

CASS Care LtdService highlights•Disability Services•Child Care (3 child care centres)•Residential Aged Care •Community Aged Care: Home care, Home Support Program, Activities groups •Settlement Services•Chinese Schools

44-50 Sixth Ave., Campsie, NSW 2194

Website: www.cass.org.au;

Facebook: www.facebook.com/cass.oz;

WeChat: CASS_1981

Disability Services Overview

• Two group homes

• Day program: including Community participation, life Choices, and Active Ageing

• Flexible Respite

• 18 support workers to support the services: 77% Chinese 22% Korean

• Client combination: 78% Chinese 11% Vietnamese 11% other cultural backgrounds

What is Culture?

• Most people focus culture on ethnicity• In fact, Disability Group itself has its own culture• “It is not just a shared experience of oppression

but includes art, humour, a history, evolving language and symbols, beliefs, values and strategies for surviving and thriving.” (Gill, 1995)

Cultural competency in CASS

- Governance - Infrastructure and facilities- Communication and information delivery- Services provision & interventions- Staff Development

Governance

• All board members are from CALD background

• Cultural competency training to board members

• AGM conducted in Chinese because majority of the members are from Chinese background

• AGM meeting minutes, notification letter, annual reports, financial documents and newsletters are printed in both Chinese and English

Infrastructure and facilities• Chinese and CALD language TV channels for clients to

choose• Diversity cooking facilities: wok, bamboo steamer for

making Dim Sim, chopsticks for client to choose • Multilingual labels and directions: Chinese, English,

Korean• Activity Room tailored for individuals

Communication and information delivery

• Brochures (4 languages)• Bilingual service agreement / contract• Bilingual clients handbook and staff handbook• Match same cultural background key workers to particular

clients• Questionnaires are printed in simple English and Chinese,

pictures and photos are inserted for easy understanding

Program provision & interventions

• Celebrate Chinese festivals, such as Chinese new year, noon festival etc

• Provide Chinese and Vietnamese food regularly to satisfy client’s individual choice

• Programs and activities are conducted in bilingual • Community access programs, offering opportunities for clients

to participate in multicultural (including mainstream) events• Considering cultural elements in program design: Musical

program, Art and craft making, Cultural festival celebration

Staff Development1. Arrange Cultural Competency training

2. Develop self study group for Disability Support Workers

3. Emphasis cultural competency in staff meeting and individual supervision

From competent in our culture to cultural competency

How the arrival of Tom changes the way we operate

•Improving of infrastructure: private space, catering to personal interest,

•Equipping our staff members through training and development

•Helping our residents to mingle through learning each other’s culture

•Developing Lifestyle Individual Plan in line with cultural needs

•Incorporating the lessons learnt into our model of organizational development

Never underestimate the mundane!

A culturally appropriate service must pay attention to the basic items which constitute a good life from the perspective of a client:•Food;

•Recreational activities;

•Educational activities;

The story of Mary

Cultural competency as a tool to help residents with complex need

How we use culturally appropriate services and skills to help to recover from traumatic experiences

Empowering staff in understanding:•Cultural bereavement•Mental illness – as a personal coping strategy•Family culture

Thank you!