Running head: SKILL DEVELOPMENT

Skill Development
Natoya Scott
Georgia State University

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Abstract

Students were encouraged to demonstrate their ability to discuss new culturally competent skills
that they have acquired throughout this semester. These different culturally competent skills is
what helped to reflect critically on the ten different NASW Standards for Cultural Competence in
Social Work Practice. These ten different standards may include but are not limited to SelfAwareness, Service Delivery and Language Diversity. Another thing that is addressed in this
assignment was the scores of both the pretest from the beginning of the semester and also the
posttest that was recently completed for this assignment. In addition to this, the different
activities in which were conducted this semester to get the student to become more culturally
competent are addressed.
Keywords: Cultural, Competency, Self-Assessment, NASW, Code of Ethics, Mechanisms

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Skill Development

It is important for a social worker to be culturally competent because of society and the
different diverse groups in which they may come into contact with within their field. In society,
many will make assumptions and judgment based on what they have seen or heard either from
the television or the radio. These different assumptions and judgments are what brings about
prejudice, discrimination, marginalization and different stereotypes.
Cultural Competency Action Plan
According to Lum (2010), to be a successful social worker, one must follow the Code of
Ethics, put in place by the NASW. Within the Code of Ethics of the NASW, there is a total of ten
different standards. The different standards in the Standards for Cultural Competence in Social
Work Practice outlined by the NASW are Ethics and Values, Self-Awareness, Cross-Cultural
Skills, Service Delivery, Empowerment and Advocacy, Diverse Workforce, Professional
Education, Language Diversity and Cross-Cultural Leadership (Lum, 2010). By reviewing these
ten different standards, one can develop different micro which deals with the individual, mezzo
which deals with the neighborhood or macro which deals with different systems or communities.
These different cultural competency action plans put in place will help to strengthen the clientsocial worker relationship. The mezzo/macro cultural competency action plan developed based
upon these different standards is to have different programs within different communities which
will in turn impact the individuals. The goal of these different programs is a help to address
better individual human needs by educating these oppressed individuals. This action plan would
fall under standard eight of the NASW code of ethics.
Adhering to the ten different standards of the NASW code of ethics is a great way to
ensure that one is doing all that needs to be done to be a great social worker. Of the different
standards, the client have been involved in standards one through three, six, eight and ten. The
different activities in which the client have taken part in the course this semester is what made
the individual aware. For example, the pretests and the different cultural competency group
projects played a great role when it came to upholding the different standards. In addition, one of
the most important standards looked at this semester was Self-Awareness. Self-Awareness helps
individuals to develop an understanding of their own personal values which in turn helps them to
understand the personal values of their clients (Lum, 2010). Mini Assignment B, which was to
complete a cultural biography is one way in which the client expressed the ability to demonstrate
understanding for standard two.
The journey to becoming culturally competent through standards four, five, seven, and
nine have not fully been met as yet. However, in the future, the subject plans to do research and
to take what has is learned and apply them to different clients. For example, standard seven states
that Social workers shall support and advocate for recruitment, admissions and hiring, and
retention efforts in social work programs and agencies that ensure diversity within the
profession (Lum, 2010). In the future, the subject plans to accomplish this and the other
standards that have not been met yet by getting a full understanding to what is meant by these
standards. In addition to research, one can gain understanding by having a mentor and asking
questions in order to gain clarity.
Social Action Plan

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The great majority of clients are members of populations whose diversity places them at
risk of experiencing prejudice, discrimination, and oppression. As it relates to culture, social
workers must recognize that people are different from each other in multiple ways and because
of this a form of cultural sensitivity practice was developed in which the worker respects and
values the ethnicity and culture of the client. Taking a course on cultural competency can be very
rewarding, not only can one learn about oneself but they can also learn about the many different
cultures that exist in the world. The mechanisms of oppression can present itself in many forms.
The main forms being internalized oppression and the external factors causing the oppression.
With internalized oppression, an individual may believe the different stereotypes and
misinformation that one hears about oneself and is more than likely to hold themselves back
from living life to their fullest potential or act in a way that reinforces the stereotypes and are
ultimately self-defeating.
Internalized oppression occurs among members of the same cultural group. People in the
same group believe, often unconsciously, that the misinformation and stereotypes that society
communicates about other members of the group. People turn the oppression on one another,
instead of addressing larger problems in society. The results are that people treat one another in
ways that are less than fully respectful. Often people from the same cultural group hurt,
undermine, criticize, mistrust, fight with, or isolate themselves from one another. The external
factors of oppression are just as detrimental to the individual where other diverse groups create
barriers of mistrust, streaming from their lack of knowledge and education of the other cultures.
As a Social Work practitioner, it is a plan for continued growth to address the oppression
of all vulnerable groups is to educate people about diverse cultures of each others values,
traditions, etc. and sensitize each person to other cultural beliefs to help them to understand each
other. In doing so, foster a sense of respect for each others core values. The groups in which the
subject plans to work with are the underprivileged and disabled. While working with this
population, the goal is to advance human rights and social and economic justice by working to
increase basic knowledge and practical skills so that there is something of value to offer to
others. Electing political representatives who believe and practice social justice, lobbying at the
local, state and national level for policy and law enactments that empower the targeted group is
one way to help oppressed populations. I plan to consider the effects of city and state
propositions before entering the polling booth, recognizing that national governmental policies
have international effects.
Post Reflection Experience
Cultural competency has a positive effect on individuals because it enables professionals
to be respectful and provide high-quality services to people who identify with different groups.
For example, First Nation individuals and African American individuals. At the beginning of the
semester, little to no knowledge was known about the different cultures in which the world has to
offer. Conducting research of diverse cultures furthers cultural competency. The results of the
pretest left the subject with many unanswered questions. From believing that one knows so
much, to finding out that was not necessarily, the case is pretty amazing. On the social work
cultural competencies self-assessment pretest, the subject scored 123 which states that the
individual was likely competent. Whereas on the Social work cultural competencies with
culturally diverse groups and social and economic justice pretest the subject scored 218. To score
a 218 states that the individual was not very likely culturally competent within that area.

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There was a significant amount of increase in many of the different parts of the posttest.
For example, the subject increased a great deal on the social and economic justice section, and
also on the persons with disabilities section. Also, the subjects overall scores on the two different
posttests also increased a great deal. From scoring a 123 on the pretest to scoring a 127 on the
posttest. Likewise, under the culturally diverse groups sections the subject increased from 218 to
266. This drastic change in scores was due to the different things in which the subject had
encountered throughout the entire semester. There were many different factors this entire
semester that contributed to the subject becoming more culturally competent in the different
areas on the pre and posttest. In addition to those specific areas identified on the pre and posttest
in the Lum textbook, there was also a total of four cultural immersions that were to be covered.
Throughout the advancement in this course these four immersions has helped the subject
to become more culturally competent when it came to dealing with specific groups. The different
cultural immersion groups looked at this semester were homosexual individuals, homeless
individuals, former foster individuals and also women who have converted to the Muslim faith.
The research completed for this project can be used to give one insight as to how to deal with
different individuals who may identify with these many cultural immersion groups.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the different cultural immersion group made it possible for the subject to
understand and to observe firsthand the different things that these individuals that identify with
these groups face on a daily basis. The different things that these individuals face may include
but are in no way limited to the different stereotypes, discrimination, marginalization, and
oppression (Adams, 2010). In addition to the four different immersions, which includes the two
interviews that the students were required to complete individually for the e-portfolio, the
students were also required to complete group projects that helped to open their eyes to some of
these factors.

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References

Adams, M. (2010). Readings for diversity and social justice (3rd ed.). New York: Routledge.
Lum, D. (2010). Culturally competent practice: A framework for understanding diverse groups
and justice issues (4th ed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole--Thomson Learning.