Practitioner Cultural Competence
On the practitioner level, cultural competence means that we have specific knowledge of the cultural groups we serve, and an understanding of the role that culture and ethnicity play in personality formation, problem presentation and help seeking behaviors. It also means that we have specific skills, intervention techniques and strategies to use in our work with families.
The process of becoming culturally competent is one in which we come to see our own cultural lens and explore ways in which it may differ from other points of view. We make gains as our ability to see the value in many perspectives is enhanced. We stereotype less, become more culturally sensitive and provide more effective treatment to the families we serve.
