Essay On Cultural Competence

Cultural Competence and Treatment The issue of culture has become an increasingly popular topic in the realm of health care, delivery of services, and in particular the area of addiction and treatment. When considering the area of culture one must look beyond the area of race and ethnicity. Culture is inclusive of a person’s gender, age, religious affiliation, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation and even geography. Culture may include the identification of a generation of beliefs or a new identity when a person moves within their own community. Meeting a person where they are in regard to their identification is one way to develop a connection within the counseling setting. All of these factors can have an influence on an assessment, referrals and the potential participation of a person in treatment.
In order to be culturally competent an individual must look at their own culture and be in tune with their own identity. It’s important to realize the potential that their own set of core beliefs and background may have on their delivery of service or interaction with other groups. Being able to identify possible issues and moving beyond them is one step in becoming culturally competent. In addition, it’s important to acknowledge, validate and be respectful when we are faced with situations that are different from our own. There is a need to openly identify the differences in a respectful way and be appreciative of what we can learn from persons we may be different from. It’s not just a matter of being aware of differences but how you integrate this in your life and direct interaction with others especially in any type of counseling