Addressing Cultural Diversity in Healthcare

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Culturally Competent Assessment

The purpose of the assessment is to address the competence of different cultures. As a number of Haitian immigrants in to the United States, it continues to grow at a steady rate (DeSilva, Gonzales-Eastep, Grey, & Nicolas, 2006). It is very important that mental health providers become better informed, and develop the skill sets necessary to combine the providers’ and clients’ cultural backgrounds into the treatment (DeSilva, Gonzales-Eastep, Grey & Nicolas, 2006). I will be conducting an assessment on, Mrs. Hudson an Haitian American woman who was referred by her primary care doctor, because of symptoms that; she is experiencing when she leaves her home. This is Mrs. Hudson’s first time to a mental health counselor.

Axis V1 Addressing Format (Hays, 2008)

Age: Mrs. Hudson is a 37-years old Haitian American woman who lives with her husband of 10 years and two children, ages 8 (son) and 2 (daughter).Mrs. Hudson worked as primary care doctor . Mr. Hudson is a firefighter. She has come to therapy to discuss recent problems; she has been having when leaving her home. Mrs. Hudson describes a pattern of behavior that began four months ago while shopping with her children. She began to experience the following symptoms: heart racing, shortness of breath, sweating palm, and tightness in the chest.

History: Mrs. Hudson was born in Haiti in 1966 and lived with her paternal grandmother until age of 7. Her mother and father emigrated to the United Stated soon after, Mrs. Hudson was born. Her married and had three more children. Father did not work mother work in a sewing factory. Mrs. Hudson described her relationship with her father as tense. She has tried to please him most of her life.

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...ressively; we cannot meet our financial obligations and provide for our families. In other words, things that we treat and give medication to treat, which is “depression” in American to another culture it is not important to treat. These are two different ways is healing are something to learn about the differences in our clients culture.

References

DeSilva, A. M., Gonzalez-Eastep, D. Grey, K. S., & Nicolas, G. (2006) Using a Multicultural

Illnesses among Haitians Living in America: by the American Psychological Association.

Desrosiers, A., & Fleurose, S. (2002). Treating Haitian patients: Key cultural aspects. American

Journal of Psychotherapy, 56, No, 4 2002.

Hays, P. S. (2008) Addressing cultural complexities in practice: Assessment, diagnosis, and

Therapy (2nd ed). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

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