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Culturally sensitive approaches in social work practice
Importance of cultural and social diversity in social work practice
Culturally sensitive approaches in social work practice
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Jennifer Viviano’s Personal Values and How They Compare to Social Work:
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF):
My Values:
I feel that TANF is a useful program, because it allows people to have access to things that they would not normal have. It also allows for the opportunity to receive actual help in bettering other people’s lives. I wish more programs like this existed and offered not only money support, but also childcare and education assistance. If more programs like TANF existed there would be more opportunity to better ones self and less of a sense of being trapped in a poor economic condition.
Rights of Documented and Undocumented Immigrants:
My Values:
I feel all immigrates rather they be documented or undocumented
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I personally am an atheist, but I do not try to push my beliefs on others. I’ve grown up with religious family members and friends and I have no right to try and stop them from believing in a higher power. I try and remain respectful when it comes to other’s personal religious beliefs, because it is their choice and not mine. What I do not agree with is trying to force one’s beliefs onto someone else. I also do not agree with all of the Christian ideologies our country is founded on. Freedom of religion is written into the constitution as the first amendment in the Bill of Rights. Yet simple things such as the pledge of allegiance are: ‘one nation under god’ or money reads: ‘in God we trust’. I personally do not understand how we as a nation can endorse freedom of religion, but then put everything into a Christian perspective.
Social Work Values:
While participating in the field of social work cultural competence is highly encouraged: “the quest for authentic cultural competence is a process of becoming more attuned to how clients experience their uniqueness…” (NASW Press, 63). Religion holds a strong part in many different people’s lives when it comes to their own personal
It seems like the Welfare system treats its recipients with disrespect and shame to discourage them from joining the system. The people who made and run Welfare in the 1990s made Welfare into a blame game and forces recipients to solely blame themselves for their poverty. The moral prescriptions in individually getting rid of poverty according to TANF are the Work Plan/Family Plan. The focuses on work and family are contradictory because of how little time there is to get both goals done and each goal perpetuates the idea that it is the most important part of ending poverty. It seems like Welfare is more about getting people off of Welfare than eradicating poverty. There is a difference in the goals and that is reflected in how the recipients are treated and how Welfare is run.
I feel that TANF is a useful program, because it allows people to have access to things that they would not generally have. It also allows for the opportunity to receive actual help in bettering other people’s lives. I wish more programs like this existed and offered not only monetary support, but also childcare and education assistance. If more programs like TANF existed there would be more opportunity to better one’s self and less of a sense of being trapped in a poor economic condition.
Welfare assistance itself is provided from monies managed by a federally funded program that provides health care, food stamps, child care assistance, unemployment benefits, cash aid, and housing to citizens in need. It is categorized the governmental umbrella of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). According to Welfare Information, eligibility is determined by net income, family size, and any crisis situation such as: pregnancy, homelessness, or unemployment (2014). TANF also requires the recipient to obtain employment within two years of rec...
Springer, J. F, Sale, E, Kasim, R, Winter, W, Sambrano, Soldad, C, (2004). Sandra; Journal of Ethnic & Cultural Diversity in Social Work: Innovation in Theory, Research & Practice; Vol 13(3); 1-23. Doi: 10.1300/J051v13n03_01
Cultural Competence Understanding culture is an important aspect of being a social worker; this does not mean learning common cultural traits is of great significance to the social work profession. “Consider the second-generation Japanese-American social worker whose practice consists of Mexican-American and African-American families. Memorizing national traits or cultural rituals would be interesting and informative, but ultimately these would be an inaccurate basis on which to “know” these particular families” (Dorfman, 1996, p. 33). When understanding cultural competence, it is important to learn from the client about their culture in order to serve them in the most helpful and efficient way possible. There is a major drawback to memorizing information, and that is, this information will not give you a real understanding of who your client is and what life experiences they have personally faced.
There are four major purposes of the TANF and they are: 1) To provide assistance to needy families so that their children can be taken care of in their own homes, 2) To reduce the dependency of needy parents by promoting job preparation, work and marriage, 3) To prevent and reduce the frequency of pregnancies that were not from married couples, and 4) To encourage the formation of two-parent families.¹ What the TANF program provides to these needy families are cash benefits to help them through their financial difficulties.
As a social worker, the ability to merge cultural competencies with social work methods and theories allows intervention to be customized to meet their client’s need-based which vary upon culture. Since there are a massive amount of different cultures with different traditions, values, and beliefs the social worker needs to obtain the fundamentals of the culture in order to assess and advocate for the ethnic group effectively. The NASW of Ethics clearly values the competence and the Ethical Principle of Social workers practice within the areas of competence and enhances their professional expertise. In addition, “ Cultural competence is a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes, and policies that come together in a system or agency or among professionals and enable the system, agency, or professionals to work effectively in cross-cultural situations” (NASW, 2000b, p. 61). Cultural competency ensures that our primary mission of the social work profession to enhance human well-being and help meet the basic human needs of all people, with particular attention to the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty.
As a social work professional, you must take into account your own personal values before you can be an effective worker in this field. Social workers sometimes need to put their own values aside when working with clients who don’t share their same ideals. Clients are diverse and are not going to always have the same values that the worker has. Social workers need to be professional and adhere to the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) guidelines when working with any client.
Cultural Competence is being able to engage in respectful and effective practice with diverse individuals, families, and communities, preserving their dignity and affirming their worth. A social worker should be aware of their clients’ cultural and environmental contexts, in order to know a client’s strengths, but cultural competence is never fully realized, achieved, or completed, but rather cultural competence is a lifelong process for social workers who will always encounter diverse clients and new situations in their practice. Social workers should have a knowledge base of their clients’ cultures and be able to demonstrate competence in the provision of services that are sensitive to clients’ cultures. Social workers should obtain education
The following paper aims to discuss and analyze the way in which my personal values intersect with the values I hold as most important within the profession of social work. It would stand to reason that these values would stand on common ground; however, there are places where my personal and professional values diverge. These conflicts may prove to be problematic within my chosen career unless I find a way to prioritize my values, or find ways for them to work harmoniously with each other.
The social work profession is not only about the knowledge of the theories, ethical guidelines, values and principles of the profession, but also it’s about applying that knowledge to everyday situations. It is a profession dedicated to enhancing human capacity to solve complex social problems in order to create a more humane and just society (Arizona State University, 2013). In the profession, social workers are encourage to use their skills such as their critical thinking and especially their decision-making skills. In addition, they work in a number of different settings with diverse individuals. Although dilemmas will arise, social workers need to be culturally competent to work with others and to avoid breaching any ethical standards.
“In this essay, we have been asked to critically assess the professional values in the ‘British Association of Social Work’ (BASW). With this the concepts of ethics and how this operates in social work practice and analyse the general role in governing and representatives bodies in social work practice”.
It is imperative that social workers become knowledgeable about their clients’ cultures and are culturally sensitive. In learning about their clients’ cultures, social workers need to be aware of how powerful and significant culture is in relating to clients’ behavior, values, and beliefs. Becoming culturally competent requires the ability to integrate awareness, knowledge, and skills while maintaining a positive working relationship with the client (Sue and Zane, 1987). Today, the concerns regarding cultural competency continue to accentuate the importance of preparing social workers for a diversified society.
Social Workers shall develop an understanding of their own personal and cultural values and beliefs as a first step in appreciating the importance of multicultural identities in the lives of people…Cultural competence includes knowing and acknowledging how fears, ignorance, and the “isms” (racism, sexism, ethnocentrism, heterosexism, ageism, classism) have influenced their attitudes, beliefs, and feelings. (citation)
This paper will include a self-assessment of my own spirituality and how I view spirituality. Peer-reviewed scholarly articles will be included in the essay pertaining to spirituality and my belief. In the following paragraphs will also include the integration of spirituality within social work practice. I believe spirituality does various things for me in my life: it heals me, helps in a time of need, and guides me towards positive aspects of life, which many people believe the spirit does the same for them.