Exhibit 2-6ACA Counselor Competencies: Culturally Appropriate Intervention Strategies
Attitudes and beliefs
Culturally skilled counselors respect clients' religious and/or spiritual beliefs and values, including attributions and taboos, because they affect worldview, psychosocial functioning, and expressions of distress.
Culturally skilled counselors respect traditional helping practices and intrinsic help-giving networks in minority communities.
Culturally skilled counselors value bilingualism and do not view another language as an impediment to counseling.
Knowledge
Culturally skilled counselors have a clear and explicit knowledge and understanding of the generic characteristics of counseling and therapy (culture bound, class bound, and monolingual) and how they could clash with the cultural values of various minority groups.
Culturally skilled counselors are aware of institutional barriers that prevent minorities from using behavioral health services.
Culturally skilled counselors know of the potential biases in assessment instruments and use procedures and interpret findings in keeping with the cultural and linguistic characteristics of clients.
Culturally skilled counselors have knowledge of minority family structures, hierarchies, values, and beliefs. They are knowledgeable about family and community characteristics and resources.
Culturally skilled counselors are aware of relevant discriminatory practices at the social and community levels that could be affecting the psychological welfare of the populations being served.
Skills
Culturally skilled counselors are able to engage in a variety of verbal and nonverbal helping responses. They are able to send and receive both verbal and nonverbal messages accurately and appropriately. They are not tied down to only one method or approach, recognizing that helping styles and approaches can be culture bound. When they sense that their helping style is limited and potentially inappropriate, they can anticipate and ameliorate its negative impact.
Culturally skilled counselors are able to exercise institutional intervention skills on behalf of their clients. They can help clients determine whether a problem stems from racism or bias in others (the concept of health paranoia) so that clients do not inappropriately personalize problems.
Culturally skilled counselors are not averse to seeking consultation with traditional healers, religious and spiritual leaders, and practitioners in the treatment of culturally diverse clients when appropriate.
Culturally skilled counselors take responsibility for interacting in the languages requested by their clients; if not feasible, they make appropriate referrals. A serious problem arises when the linguistic skills of a counselor do not match the language of the client. When language matching is not possible, counselors should seek a translator with cultural knowledge and appropriate professional background and/or refer to a knowledgeable and competent bilingual counselor.
Culturally skilled counselors have training and expertise in the use of traditional assessment and testing instruments, understand their technical aspects, and are aware of their cultural limitations. This allows counselors to use test instruments for the welfare of diverse clients.
Culturally skilled counselors are aware of and work to eliminate biases, prejudices, and discriminatory practices. They are aware of sociopolitical contexts in conducting evaluation and providing interventions and are sensitive to issues of oppression, sexism, elitism, and racism.
Culturally skilled counselors educate clients about the processes of psychological intervention, explaining such elements as goals, expectations, legal rights, and the counselor's theoretical orientation.
Source: American Counseling Association Web site (http://www.counseling.org/docs/competencies/cross-cultural_competencies_and_objectives.pdf). Adapted with permission.
From: 2, Core Competencies for Counselors and Other Clinical Staff
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Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series, No. 59.
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Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US); 2014.
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