Cultural Awareness
How might developing cultural competence improve mental health services?
Word Count 1692
Submission Date – 27th November 2012
Culture plays an important part in the development of a persons’ identity, relationships and influences behaviour (The Open University, 2010, p.74). Spencer (2003) states that the UK has become more culturally diverse based on varying factors such as economic, social and cultural globilisation; as a result of globilisation processes, boundaries that traditionally separated groups and individuals are slowly eroding (The Open University 2010, p.76). It is therefore imperative that mental health practitioners have an understanding of the role cultural competence plays in enabling service providers to respond to culture in a sensitive way (The Open University 2010, p.92). For the purposes of this piece of work I will define cultural competence and discuss how this could be developed to improve mental health services. This will include elements of the K272 course model, a framework that looks at mental health from a holistic perspective. Furthermore, I will explore the development of services in relation to cultural competence and the challenges faced by those involved both as service users and as service providers.
Cultural competence can be defined in an assortment of terms and this in turn can have a varying effect on outcomes for individual service users and service providers (Papadopoulos, 2004). While it can be difficult to find a definition altogether acceptable by all parties, for the purpose of this written piece the model developed by Papadopoulos et al (1998) highlights the aspirations of cultural competence and looks at the attitudes and skills necessary for ongoing development. Papadopoulos et al. (1998) states that cultural competence is developed as a result of people gaining awareness, knowledge and sensitivity in relation to diverse cultural identities (The Open University 2010, p.94).Cultural competence encompasses
Word Count 1692
Submission Date – 27th November 2012
Culture plays an important part in the development of a persons’ identity, relationships and influences behaviour (The Open University, 2010, p.74). Spencer (2003) states that the UK has become more culturally diverse based on varying factors such as economic, social and cultural globilisation; as a result of globilisation processes, boundaries that traditionally separated groups and individuals are slowly eroding (The Open University 2010, p.76). It is therefore imperative that mental health practitioners have an understanding of the role cultural competence plays in enabling service providers to respond to culture in a sensitive way (The Open University 2010, p.92). For the purposes of this piece of work I will define cultural competence and discuss how this could be developed to improve mental health services. This will include elements of the K272 course model, a framework that looks at mental health from a holistic perspective. Furthermore, I will explore the development of services in relation to cultural competence and the challenges faced by those involved both as service users and as service providers.
Cultural competence can be defined in an assortment of terms and this in turn can have a varying effect on outcomes for individual service users and service providers (Papadopoulos, 2004). While it can be difficult to find a definition altogether acceptable by all parties, for the purpose of this written piece the model developed by Papadopoulos et al (1998) highlights the aspirations of cultural competence and looks at the attitudes and skills necessary for ongoing development. Papadopoulos et al. (1998) states that cultural competence is developed as a result of people gaining awareness, knowledge and sensitivity in relation to diverse cultural identities (The Open University 2010, p.94).Cultural competence encompasses
References: Cortis J (2003)’ Managing society’s difference and diversity’. Nursing Standard, vol 18, no 14-16, pp33-39. Jones,K.Black, D.(2008) Nursing and Midwifery Council, (2008) The NMC code of professional conduct: standards for conduct, performance and ethics. London: Nursing and Midwifery Council. The Open University (2010) K272 Block 1: Boundaries of explanation, Milton Keynes, The Open University The Open University (2010) K272 Block 1: Culture, ethnicity and mental health Milton Keynes, The Open University The Open University (2010) K272 Cultural competence (CD). Milton Keynes The Open University Wright J (2012) ‘Clinical supervision: a review of the evidence base’