Diversity

Vision: “Dedicated to Health” Mission: “We Care For You”

Overview The purpose of the training is to give

participants an understanding of the diversity of the values and beliefs as well as the wide range of cultural, social and spiritual dimensions they may encounter whilst providing health care. This training also touches on some basic cross cultural skills that will help staff to respect diversity and display cross cultural competence.

Diversity Training Sessions

“The diversity of Victoria’s population is one of our State’s greatest assets. The Department is committed to supporting diversity and reducing health inequality through accessible and appropriate health service delivery. It is important that health care services meet the needs of everyone in our community so that all Victorians are able to attain optimal health and wellbeing.”

January 2014

Department of Health, Victoria

Some groups in Victoria experience poorer health due to a range of biological, behavioural and social factors, such as culture, language, migration experience, Aboriginality, sex and gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age and disability. All these factors can influence our health and wellbeing and experiences of healthcare.

…Department of Health, Victoria

Socioeconomic circumstances and geographic location can also have a significant impact on the health of individuals, families and communities, as can discrimination, such as sexism, racism, ageism, homophobia and transphobia.

A lack of access to appropriate services can also be detrimental to a person’s health and wellbeing.

…Department of Health, Victoria

Specific responses have been developed by the department to make service more appropriate and to improve access, including: Aboriginal health Cultural and linguistic diversity Refugee and asylum seeker health Gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and

Intersex (GLBTI) health Women’s health Men’s Health Older people

http://www.health.vic.gov.au/diversity/

Diversity – ‘points of difference’Macquarie Dictionary

Culture – shared values and beliefs, symbols, practices and attitudes

Values ‐ ‘ones principles or standards; ones judgement of what is valuable or important in life’

Oxford Dictionary

Definitions:

Learned: We are not born with it. It is not genetic. We learn it from others e.g. language, beliefs, including religion.

Shared: As it is learned, it must be shared. Others must understand it and convey it e.g. the ‘thumbs up’ and ‘OK’ sign.

Dynamic: It changes over place and time. It is affected by migration and time spent in a new place. Migration may be a small distance, such as a rural area to a big city or large as in between continents

Culture is….

1. Be aware of the influence of culture on health status, beliefs, practices, and values.

2. Increase self-awareness about your own health beliefs, practices, and values.

3. Learn about the prevailing health beliefs, practices, and values of the diverse groups you serve.

Nine aspects that promote Understanding of Diversity

4. Identify potential areas of congruity and difference between your personal health beliefs, practices, and values and those of the diverse groups you serve.

5. Increase self-awareness about your (cross-cultural) health care ethics.

6. Learn skills to identify, evaluate, and respond to diverse ethical conflicts, with special attention to issues that challenge professional integrity.

Nine aspects that promote Understanding of Diversity (cont)

7. Develop attitudes that are culturally responsive to the diverse groups you serve.

8. Learn communication skills that are culturally responsive to the diverse groups you serve.

9. Develop culturally responsive knowledge, skills, and attitudes that can be applied to specific clinical relationships.

Nine aspects that promote Understanding of Diversity (cont)

Diversity and Cross cultural

skills

Acknowledge people’s individuality and their right to be different

Avoid focusing only on differences - look for similarities

Be objective about your own culture and

understand how it impacts on your interaction with

others

Be open to learning and considering

different (cultural) perspectives

Adapted from Albury Wodonga Multi Cultural Resource Centre