Do You Possess To Be A Diversity-Competent Counselor Of A Chemical Dependency Group

What special knowledge do you think is most necessary for you to possess to be a diversity-competent counselor of a chemical dependency group? What steps might you take to increase this knowledge?
In order for me to be a diversity competent counselor of a chemical dependency group, it is important that I am not only aware of my own cultural and racial heritage but also important that I am aware of the cultural and racial heritage of the participants in the chemical dependency group. I must possess the knowledge of how racism, stereotyping and discrimination is presented to and how it affects each member of my group, according to their own cultural heritage. It is also very important that I know the educational and institutional barriers that could possibly keep them from participating in the group. I should have a basic knowledge of the family structure, their cultural and historical backgrounds, family values and how their culture differs from mine and other members of the group.
I can increase my knowledge by getting to know the different cultures in the community, researching cultural and historical backgrounds and interviewing and asking questions of community leaders, neighbors and friends that may be able to help me understand different racial and cultural heritages.
This is very important because I would never want to do anything to lose the trust of a person that I am counseling or offend them in any way because this would be counterproductive to their recovery.
At the first meeting of a new group, what would you be inclined to say to the members about confidentiality? What guidelines would you give them for talking to others about what they experience in the group? What would you tell them about when and why you might break
confidentiality?
At a first meeting of a new group I would inform members that anything said during group will be kept in strict confidence and I would also explain to other participating group members the importance of them keeping everything in confidence as well. I would tell them that they should not discuss anything outside of the group with anyone else, be it friends, family, or anyone else. Some of the guidelines that I would give them for talking to other people about what they experience in group is first of all, never mention anyone by name or give personal descriptions of the participants so that others may figure out who you are speaking about. I would tell them if they are going to speak about anything that happens in group, make sure that they only discuss their personal story and not the story of someone else. Also when discussing their personal story, they should refrain from using any names or descriptions of people who may have commented to them during group. Because a lot of members may go to school together, church together or socialize together in public settings, they should never speak about anything that is said in group sessions and should not even make mention that they attend a group together in front of other people. I would inform them that anything they say will be kept in the strictest of confidence but there are certain situations that I may have to break their confidentiality, such as when I feel the client is likely to hurt themselves or others, when there is abuse of the elderly or children suspected, when I am ordered to do so by a court of law or if they were to ever give me written permission to do so. It is not possible for me to guarantee at the beginning of the group that there would never be a breach in confidentiality among the members of the group, however I am ethically and legally bound to maintain confidentiality.