Cultural Competence in Social Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Cultural Competence in Social Work - Essay Example It is apparent that acquiring cultural competence causes the ability to communicate, understand, and interact effectively with individuals across cultures. Furthermore, a culturally competent person must value prevalent diversity in culture, and portray actions or attitudes that accept as well as promote different cultures. The individual should respond effectively and respectively to people of all races, sexual orientations, cultures, ethnic background, religions or faiths, and classes. Health and human services profession requires a practitioner to recognize, value, and affirm the worth of tribes, individuals, families as well as community. The practitioner also has a responsibility to preserve and protect the dignity of all people in the community. Standards for cultural competence Health and human services work has several cultural competence standards that govern the practice. The National Association of Social Worker (NASW) has stipulated several standards or norms for cultural competence. One of the standards is ethics and values that states that social work professionals should function in conformity to profession’s standards, ethics, and values. In addition, they must recognize ways in which professional and personal values may accommodate or conflict with requirements of diverse clients. Health and human services work has several cultural competence standards that govern the practice. The National Association of Social Worker (NASW) has stipulated several standards or norms for cultural competence.  ... cerning traditions, history, artistic expressions, family systems, and values of individuals that they serve (National Association of Social Workers, 2001). Acquirement of cultural competence skills Cultural competency in health and human services necessitates the acquirement of cross-cultural skills. In this sense, social work professionals should be equipped with suitable approaches, techniques as well as skills that reflect an understanding of importance and influence of culture in the provision of health and human services. In service delivery, social workers should not only be skillful in and well informed about various available services, but should also be in a position to make suitable referrals for their clientele. They should identify and avoid discrimination of clients from service opportunities because of their diversity. Social work professionals should endeavor to provide services that aptly match clients’ culturally unique needs. Besides, they should promote pro cedures and policies that guarantee access to care or services, which incorporates different cultural beliefs and practices (Doman, 2010). Social workers must acquire various critical elements that enhance their ability to be more culturally competent. These elements include  valuing diversity;  being cognizant of various dynamics associated with interaction of cultures;  having the capability to undertake cultural self-assessment;  attaining profound cultural knowledge; and  developing versions of service delivery revealing awareness as well as compliance with cultural diversity.  Social work practitioners should be proficient in these elements and manifested them in their professional as well as social interaction. Furthermore, these elements ought to be incorporated in policies, attitudes, as