Cultural Diversity and Competence

Ce-Classes.com recognizes that developing cultural competence is an ongoing process that begins with cultural awareness and a commitment to understanding the role that culture plays in behavioral health services. All instructors for Ce-Classes.com agree to promote participant mastery of strategies and behaviors that enhance inclusion of diverse populations, especially underserved and minority populations. Instructors for Ce-Classes.com appreciate racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity. They do this by becoming aware of and understanding self as a racial and cultural being; becoming aware of sociopolitical influences of racism; and internalizing a nonracist identity. Ce-Classes.com endorses the use of the RESPECT model identified in a recent SAHSHA publication. This model includes the following elements: • Respect—Understand how respect is shown within given cultural groups. Instructors demonstrate this attitude through verbal and nonverbal communications. • Explanatory model—Devote time in treatment to understanding how clients perceive their presenting problems. What are their views about their own substance abuse or mental symptoms? How do they explain the origin of current problems? How similar or different is the counselor’s perspective? • Sociocultural context—Recognize how class, race, ethnicity, gender, education, socioeconomic status, sexual and gender orientation, immigrant status, community, family, gender roles, and so forth affect care. • Power—Acknowledge the power differential between clients and counselors. • Empathy—Express, verbally and nonverbally, the significance of each client’s concerns so that he or she feels understood by the counselor. • Concerns and fears—Elicit clients’ concerns and apprehensions regarding help-seeking behavior and initiation of treatment.