1. Cultural Humility & Communication
Mary & Kieu
Mary Kasik, CASA Specialist
Kieu Tu, CASA Specialist
Child Advocates of Silicon Valley

2. Culture….
Mary

3. Cultural Humility is:
A stance toward understanding culture. It requires a commitment to lifelong learning, continuous self- reflection on one’s own assumptions and practices, comfort with ‘not knowing’, and recognition of the power/privilege imbalance that exists between clients and health professionals.
An interactive approach: we approach another person with openness to learn; we ask questions rather than make assumptions; and we strive to understand rather than to inform.
Mary

4. Agreements Honor Confidentiality
Unconditional Respect for Yourself & Others
Speak Your Truth
No Put-downs
Agree to Disagree
Everyone Has the Right to Pass
Experience Discomfort
Be conscious of body language and nonverbal responses -- they can be as disrespectful as words.
Expect and Accept Non-closure
Anything Else?
Mary

5. How do you identify yourself?
Write your name in the center circle.
In the smaller circles, write down 7 groups with which you identify.
Talk about a time where you felt proud or included as a member of that group.
Talk about a time where you felt upset or excluded as a member of that group.

6. Activity: My String of Beads
Go around the room to each of the 7 stations and read the statements silently.
Take 1 bead for each statement that applies to you and string it on your cord.
What do you think this activity was about?
How did it make you feel?
What can you do with your privilege?
Kieu

7. A Trip to the Grocery Store
Kieu
A Trip to the Grocery Store
Joy DeGruy, Author and Educator

8. Cultural acknowledgement
Please disperse yourself up into groups including 3-4 members in each group.
Discuss the following:
Why is it so important for our kids to be comfortable and proud of their culture?
It is our responsibility, as a CASA, to help them do that?
How can we do that?
Mary

9. Activity: Power Shuffle
Honor confidentiality
Unconditionally respect yourself and others
Speak for yourself only
Actively listen
No put-downs
Give caring feedback
This exercise will include a dialogue, not a debate
Agree to disagree
Everyone has the right to pass
It is okay to express your emotions
No “rescuing”
Take responsibility for you own learning - ask for what you need.
Kieu

10. Communication….
Kieu

11. Communication is:
Connection between people
The successful conveying or sharing of ideas and feelings
Social Contact
Different for everyone
Kieu

12. TED Talks: 10 ways to have a better conversation
Kieu
TED Talks: 10 ways to have a better conversation
Celeste Headlee

13. 10 ways to have a better conversation
1. Don’t multitask—be present, be in that moment
2. Don’t pontificate –set aside your personal opinions
3. Use open ended questions—who, what, where, when, how
4. Go with the flow—thoughts will come in your mind, let them go out of your mind
5. If you don’t know say that you don’t know
6. Don’t equate your experience with theirs—all experiences are individual; it is not the same
7. Try not to repeat yourself—it is condescending and boring
8. Stay out of the weeds—leave out the details
9. Listen—listen with the intent to understand not with the intent to reply
10. Be brief— “a good conversation is like a miniskirt; short enough to retain interest, but long enough to cover the subject.”
Mary & Kieu
End Note: Opening a Discussion to ask them to provide examples of how this may relate to when they become a CASA.

14. ACTIVITY: Happy & Sad Moments
Instructions: pair up with a person not in your group.
There will be two rounds of sharing.
Each round you will have a different task.
Based on your group’s instructions you will communicate accordingly. Be creative on how you are delivering and listening.
First Round Go!
Second Round Go!
ACTIVITY: Happy & Sad Moments
Mary & Kieu
First Round: Group 1: Not listening, Group 2: a moment where you felt happy from childhood
Second Round: Group 1: A moment where you felt sad in childhood, Group 2: Active Listening
GROUP 1: MARY
GROUP 2: KIEU

15. ACTIVITY: Happy & Sad Moments
For the First Round, we asked Group 1 to not listen and for Group 2 to share a moment where you felt happy from childhood.
For the Second Round, we asked for Group 1 to share a moment where you felt sad from childhood and for Group 2 to be an active listener.
How did this make you feel in both situations?
How can you tell if the other person was not listening?
How can you tell if the other person was listening?
ACTIVITY: Happy & Sad Moments
Kieu
REFLECTION

16. 4 Methods of Communication
Passive Communication
Aggressive Communication
Passive-Aggressive Communication
Assertive Communication
Kieu

17. 4 Methods of Communication
Passive Communication: a style in which individuals have developed a pattern of avoiding expressing their opinions of feelings, protecting their rights, and identifying and meeting their needs.
Aggressive Communication: a style in which individuals express their feelings and opinions and advocate for their needs in a way that violates the rights of others.
Passive-Aggressive Communication: a style in which individuals appear passive on the surface but are really acting out anger in a subtle, indirect, or behind-the-scenes way.
Assertive Communication: a style in which individuals clearly state their opinions and feelings, and firmly advocate for their rights and needs without violating the rights of others.
Kieu: First two bullets, Mary: last two bullets. Examples: Mary & Kieu

18. 4 Methods of Communication
A take away: think about how you identify your style and what communication style you are. Think about how this will influence the way you communicate being a Child Advocate.
We encourage Assertive Communication as a Child Advocate.
Kieu

19. The Goal
An examination of one’s prejudices, an effort to truly understand and empathize with others, the development of an appreciation of differences, and, hopefully, the establishment of real, positive connection.
Mary

20. Wrap Up
Mary & Kieu