1. Cultural Competence
“Whenever people of different races come together in groups, leaders can assume that race is an issue, but not necessarily a problem.”

2. CULTURAL COMPETENCE Developing cultural sensitivity:
Ability to perceive others through their own cultural lens
Knowledge of specific beliefs and values in the client’s community
Personal comfort with differences

3. CULTURAL COMPETENCE Developing cultural sensitivity (cont.):
Willingness to change previous ideas and stereotypes
The ability to be flexible and adapt one’s thinking and behavior in novel settings
Skills to sort through diverse information about a community in order to understand how it might apply to particular individuals

4. Cultural Competence Cultural competence can be learned.
** Worker should engage in
a process of self-exploration.**

5. Cultural Competence Have awareness of own cultural limitations
Self-exploration of culture:
Have awareness of own cultural limitations
Open to cultural differences
Acknowledge the integrity of other cultures

6. Social Justice
Be intentional about having a diverse group membership – avoid tokenization of members.
Separate psychological issues from socially constructed biases that may appear as psychological problems.
Facilitate consciousness raising and creating an awareness of social justice by processing issues of oppression as they come up in group.
Use structured program activities to discuss issues of privilege and oppression.

7. Cultural Competence
Developing Cultural Sensitivity in Groups:
Explore feelings about own identity and how this might affect interaction with members from other backgrounds
- Values
- Beliefs
- Skills

8. Cultural Competence Developing Cultural Sensitivity in Groups (cont.):
- become familiar with backgrounds of client groups with whom you work with
- research literature
- visit the cultural community
- interview key respondents
- become participant observer

9. Cultural Competence
Developing Cultural Sensitivity in Groups (cont.):
** Acknowledge the effect of societal attitudes on members of diverse groups (prejudice, stereotyping, racism/discrimination, superiority, themes: race, class, age, ability, sexuality, etc.) **

10. Cultural Competence Assessing Cultural Influences on Group Behavior:
Participation
Interaction with sponsorship of group
Optimize outreach efforts
How members from diverse groups relate to each other and the leader

11. Cultural Competence
Assessing Cultural Influences on Group Behavior:
Assess: language, communication (verbal & non-verbal), stylistic elements of communication, nuances of message, expectations, motivations for being in the group, power and control dynamics

12. Cultural Competence Intervening with cultural sensitivity:
Use social work values and skills
Use strengths perspective
Exploring common and different experiences among members
Exploring meanings and language

13. Cultural Competence Intervening with cultural sensitivity:
Challenging prejudice and discrimination
Advocating for members
Empowering members
Using culturally appropriate techniques and program activities

14. Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers Approved by the 1996 NASW Delegate Assembly and revised by the 1999 NASW Delegate Assembly
Value: Social Justice
Ethical Principle: Social workers challenge social injustice.
Social workers pursue social change, particularly with and on behalf of vulnerable and oppressed individuals and groups of people. Social workers' social change efforts are focused primarily on issues of poverty, unemployment, discrimination, and other forms of social injustice. These activities seek to promote sensitivity to and knowledge about oppression and cultural and ethnic diversity. Social workers strive to ensure access to needed information, services, and resources; equality of opportunity; and meaningful participation in decision making for all people.

15. Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers Approved by the 1996 NASW Delegate Assembly and revised by the 2008 NASW Delegate Assembly
Value: Social Justice
Ethical Principle: Social workers challenge social injustice. Social workers pursue social change, particularly with and on behalf of vulnerable and oppressed individuals and groups of people. Social workers’ social change efforts are focused primarily on issues of poverty, unemployment, discrimination, and other forms of social injustice. These activities seek to promote sensitivity to and knowledge about oppression and cultural and ethnic diversity. Social workers strive to ensure access to needed information, services, and resources; equality of opportunity; and meaningful participation in decision making for all people.

16. Ethical Standards
1. Social Workers' Ethical Responsibilities to Clients
1.05 Cultural Competence and Social Diversity
(a) Social workers should understand culture and its function in human behavior and society, recognizing the strengths that exist in all cultures.
(b) 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 and to differences among people and cultural groups.
(c) Social workers should obtain education about and seek to understand the nature of social diversity and oppression with respect to race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, political belief, religion, and mental or physical disability.

17. Ethical Standards 1.05 Cultural Competence and Social Diversity
(a) Social workers should understand culture and its function in human behavior and society, recognizing the strengths that exist in all cultures.
(b) 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 and to differences among people and cultural groups.
(c) Social workers should obtain education about and seek to understand the nature of social diversity and oppression with respect to race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, political belief, religion, immigration status, and mental or physical disability.

18. Ethical Standards 6.01 Social Welfare
Social workers should promote the general welfare of society, from local to global levels, and the development of people, their communities, and their environments. Social workers should advocate for living conditions conducive to the fulfillment of basic human needs and should promote social, economic, political, and cultural values and institutions that are compatible with the realization of social justice.

19. Ethical Standards
6. Social Workers' Ethical Responsibilities to the Broader Society 6.01 Social Welfare
Social workers should promote the general welfare of society, from local to global levels, and the development of people, their communities, and their environments. Social workers should advocate for living conditions conducive to the fulfillment of basic human needs and should promote social, economic, political, and cultural values and institutions that are compatible with the realization of social justice.

20. Ethical Standards 6.04 Social and Political Action
(c) Social workers should promote conditions that encourage respect for cultural and social diversity within the United States and globally. Social workers should promote policies and practices that demonstrate respect for difference, support the expansion of cultural knowledge and resources, advocate for programs and institutions that demonstrate cultural competence, and promote policies that safeguard the rights of and confirm equity and social justice for all people.
(d) Social workers should act to prevent and eliminate domination of, exploitation of, and discrimination against any person, group, or class on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, political belief, religion, or mental or physical disability.

21. Ethical Standards 6.04 Social and Political Action
(a) Social workers should engage in social and political action that seeks to ensure that all people have equal access to the resources, employment, services, and opportunities they require to meet their basic human needs and to develop fully. Social workers should be aware of the impact of the political arena on practice and should advocate for changes in policy and legislation to improve social conditions in order to meet basic human needs and promote social justice.
(b) Social workers should act to expand choice and opportunity for all people, with special regard for vulnerable, disadvantaged, oppressed, and exploited people and groups.
(c) Social workers should promote conditions that encourage respect for cultural and social diversity within the United States and globally. Social workers should promote policies and practices that demonstrate respect for difference, support the expansion of cultural knowledge and resources, advocate for programs and institutions that demonstrate cultural competence, and promote policies that safeguard the rights of and confirm equity and social justice for all people.
(d) Social workers should act to prevent and eliminate domination of, exploitation of, and discrimination against any person, group, or class on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, political belief, religion, immigration status, or mental or physical disability.