Cultural Competence Profile – My Practice Skills

Select one of the four self-assessments of cultural competence that you completed in the Unit 6 study, identify three strengths you believe you possess, and identify three areas you need to improve.

Select one of the stories from Thomas and Schwarzbaum (2017), “Section III: Immigration and Acculturation,” and discuss how your identified strengths and areas of needed improvement would impact therapeutic work with this person.

CULTURAL COMPETENCY ASSESSMENT

Part 1: Self-Assessment

Instructions: This 34 item assessment was developed to heighten your personal awareness of your cultural knowledge, cultural awareness, cultural sensitivity, and cultural action.

SELF-ASSESSMENT

Cultural Knowledge

Please rate the extent to which you do the following.

1. I am knowledgeable of my own racial and ethnic heritage.
2. When in public or at work, I only engage and interact with people of my own race.
3. When in public or at work, I only engage and interact with people of my own ethnicity.
4. When in public or at work, I only engage and interact with people of my own social class.
5. When in public or at work, I only engage and interact with people of my own religion.
6. When in public or at work, I only engage and interact with people of my own gender.
7. When in public or at work, I only engage and interact with people of my own age.
8. During leisure and personal time outside of the public eye, I only engage and interact with people of my own race.
9. During leisure and personal time outside of the public eye, I only engage and interact with people of my own ethnicity.
10. During leisure and personal time outside of the public eye, I only engage and interact with people of my own social class.
11. During leisure and personal time outside of the public eye, I only engage and interact with people of my own religion.
12. During leisure and personal time outside of the public eye, I only engage and interact with people of my own gender.
13. During leisure and personal time outside of the public eye, I only engage and interact with people of my own age.
14. I have firsthand knowledge of others specific cultural facts and insights through direct one-to one personal interactions and communications.
15. I have firsthand knowledge of others specific cultural facts and insights through direct social interactions and communications.
16. I have second hand knowledge of others cultural facts and insights through intentionally reading, viewing (documentaries/films), and talking about people whose culture differs from my own.

Cultural Awareness

Please rate the extent to which you do the following.

1. I am mindful of my thoughts, attitudes, and feelings of others cultural differences when I interact with them.
2. I recognize the impact of my specific thoughts, attitudes, and feelings I have regarding a culture different from my own.
3. I recognize the affect my lack of cultural knowledge has on someone’s safety and well-being.
4. I am always aware (conscience and responsive) to the needs of those whose culture differs from my own.
5. I always distinguish between others worldviews and my own when interacting with those whose culture differs from my own.
6. I am always subjective and empathetic when interacting with those whose culture differs from my own.

Cultural Sensitivity

Please rate the extent to which you do the following.

1. I always demonstrate a welcoming attitude (approach and outlook) of respect when speaking about those whose culture differs from my own regardless of the setting and audience.
2. I am always genuine (authentic) in my interactions with those whose culture differs from my own regardless of the setting and audience.
3. I am always aware that I can be effective as a professional and still not be genuine in my interactions with those whose culture differs from my own.
4. I am proficient in cultural awareness and am aware that certain products and practices can cause harm to those whose culture differs from my own.
5. I am always able to distinguish between my attitude and the attitude others whose worldviews differs from my own.
6. I am always responsive and mindful of my attitude when interacting with those whose culture differs from my own regardless of the setting and audience.

Cultural Action

Please rate the extent to which you do the following.

1. I always respond to the needs of others whose culture differs from my own regardless of the setting and audience.
2. I always take into consideration cultural differences of when making decisions about others well-being.
3. I always seek to improve my understanding of how intercultural communications of those whose culture differs from my own can affect decision-making and administrative practices.
4. I always adjust my tone and approach when I am aware that in doing so fosters trust in certain cultures.
5. I always take action when I encounter an in justice or offense that occurs due to lack of knowledge and awareness regarding a specific cultural practice.
6. I always self assess my current knowledge and adjust my attitude toward others in an effort to move beyond barriers of limited traditional assumptions about culture to include the idea that cultures are closed and self contained systems, individuals are primarily part of one culture, there is internal homogeneity and coherence and there are clearly defined borders.

REFERENCES

• Carrizales, T. (2010). Exploring cultural competency within the public affairs curriculum. Journal of Public Affairs Education, 16(4), 593-606.
• Rice, M.F. (2015). A post-modern cultural competency framework for public administration and public service delivery.
• Sharp, B. S., Aguirre, G., & Kickham, K. (2011). Managing in the public sector: A casebook in ethics and leadership. Boston, MA: Longman. ISBN: 9780136039754.

CREDITS

Subject Matter Expert:Carolyn AllenInteractive Design:Tara Schiller, Alyssa JensenInteractive Developer:Dre AllenInstructional Designer:Marisa JohnsonProject Manager:Andrea Thompson, Marc Ashmore