This is the reason I am writing this article. including practice with survivors of torture, women, LGBTQ immigrants/refugees, and youth provide guiding frameworks and examples for effective practice. Good luck to you as well and best regards! There may be an infinite number of variables that exist between and within the different groups of refugees. negative effects on the immigrants work performance; otherwise, a referral to a culturally competent therapist is suggested. For information on the HEOA, please go to http://ed.gov/policy/highered/leg/hea08/index.html. These platforms and resources prioritize visual simplicity and design clarity, low-literacy and low digital literacy needs, and cultural and linguistic adaptability. Each of us immigrated for different reasons. Those who work with these populations say that as part of the cultural diversity that the counseling profession has embraced, counselors have a responsibility to help immigrants and refugees with everyday challenges associated with community, school, work, health care and other systems. Cultural Considerations. Features a webinar on how child welfare agencies can improve their responsiveness to the needs of immigrant families and work to promote the well-being of immigrant children. The clinician might uncover a hidden agenda and cause of ailments when questioning a patient's perception of illness.13,14. A Few Best Practices for Working with Asian Patients 1. Special attention and focus to the following areas will enhance the quality . Thus, within and amongst reservations, cultural . This was very useful. Immigrants often lack important information about how the health and mental health care system works, the financial resources to negotiate the system, and the confidence to advocate for themselves. For example, in many cultures, the patient's family, not the patient, is told the diagnosis, in direct contrast to usual practice in this country.15 Another example of cultural difference is female circumcision (also known as female genital mutilation), present in some African refugees. Epub 2020 Nov 27. A principle challenge for the social work professional is to understand the minds and hearts of immigrants, their desire for education and economic advancement, their interest in mainstream issues while maintaining their own traditions and their inevitable impact on modern day culture. This article has given me new ideas in terms of how to facilitate the group. Over 40 million immigrants live in the United States today, according to Pew Research Center more than in any other country. You will learn about the differences between refugees, immigrants, and asylees. For those counselors taking a multicultural approach who may not be immigrants, we all can benefit from the experiences of one another. They may also have witnessed torture or death of their neighbors, relatives and even parents, which may affect their mental well-being. Trained medical interpreters, preferably the same gender as the patient, are valuable partners in health care delivery to refugees.14 Because of the sensitive nature of some health issues, it is least desirable to use children or the spouse of a patient. Aspen Institute (2021)
They eagerly share the Road Map of My Story worksheet and the Name Game compliments they received. Bridging Refugee Youth and Childrens Services
Shifting family structures and dynamics: Undocumented immigrants have varying family situations and mixed-status families are common. Use these resources to help professionals work with immigrant and refugee families in a culturally appropriate manner and build culturally responsive organizations. & Negi, N. (2012b). Distt. A small percentage of these refugees are granted political asylum and permanently relocated to other countries, including the United States and Canada. Socio-economic deprivation and traumatic experiences pre-migration contribute to a high risk for mental health problems among immigrant background youth. This article also reviews interventions and best practices that draw on the incorporation of culture into health care and that thus may be effective for building cross-cultural understanding between providers and their immigrant and refugee patients. State the four elements of cross cultural communication 2 The Importance of Cultural Competency Health care workers need to be aware of, and sensitive to . Best Practices to Support Immigrant Families Involved in the Child Welfare System (PDF - 502 KB)
Knowledge of specific situations can assist physicians in determining the focus of the office visit. Research is particularly needed on resiliency to determine the factors that keep immigrants in tact and healthy. The United States has long been a popular choice for foreign workers looking to further their careers. Agencies need to help workers keep abreast of new policies and procedures, and changing state and federal laws. The Indicators for the Achievement of the NASW Standards for Cultural Competence in Social Work Practice (2007) define cultural competence as the process by which individuals and systems respond respectfully and effectively to people of all cultures, languages, classes, races, ethnic backgrounds, religions, and other diversity factors in a manner that recognizes, affirms, and values the worth of individuals, families, and communities and protects and preserves the dignity of each (p. When developed and implemented as a framework, cultural respect enables systems, agencies, and groups of professionals to function effectively to understand the . As a counselor trainee, I wondered how I could impact their psychological well-being when we faced a lingual barrier, a cultural barrier and time limitations each week. As described in the definition, refugees have fled from hostile situations including lack of food. Some reservations are home to multiple bands or tribes due to federal policies, which voluntarily or forcibly relocated bands, and tribes. Once their immediate basic health and social needs are met, refugees should be encouraged to participate in the provision of support for others in the community.5 The model of using focused group meetings may offer a non-threatening means for the newcomers to express their concerns and needs in their new country.16, Patients sense whether their physicians care about them as people, regardless of cultural differences.16 Some practical suggestions for physicians who treat patients from different cultures are listed in Table 2.34. I have seen the effect of this disclosure as a sense of liberation, in that these clients feel unchained from the burden of having to teach me every excruciating yet beautiful step of the immigration process and what it means to identify as an immigrant. Women's shelters may not be an option since some shelters may not be able to provide services because of language and cultural barriers. You can help them find their voice with patience, encouragement and creativity. Most refugees know very little about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and HIV. "Cultural issues" is a complex construct that often seems vague and indirect. argued that social work education must expand beyond teaching cultural competence to teaching workers how to understand harmful immigration policies and fight against them at the macro level. Immigrants (Documented and Undocumented) 2. Cristina Lopez-Scalzo, LMHC. I am grateful to hear that the article can be helpful globally. In the afterschool program with immigrant and refugee students in middle school, the group members show interest in what I am about to present. Their shyness to share and to speak in group with their minimal English creates a soft, whispered effort to disclose issues and fears. Counseling can one day be a worksheet on respect and self-care, and the next, an opportunity to share ones fears and sadness about leaving home. For assistance with your order: Please email us at textsales@sagepub.com or connect with your SAGE representative. Multicultural concerns cover a broad range of topics and identities including race, religion, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, and/or disability. Parenting in a New Context: Foundational Tenets of Culturally Responsive Care THEORETICAL ORIENTATIONS AND RE-ORIENTATION, Chapter 4: Transnational practice as the clients process: Reorienting practice with an integrative theoretical approach to practice with immigrants and Refugees, Chapter 5: The perception and experience of everyday discrimination among U.S. to illustrate application. Refer to the "Cultural Considerations Resource" for help in completing this assignment.Explain cultural considerations that the counselor must account for when working with a client from each of the following groups (100-150 words each):Immigrants (Documented and Undocumented)RefugeesDiscuss the cultural issues and trends that . I am a migrant in Australia about to embark on a career in counselling. In some cultures, it is not proper to ask an authority figure, such as a physician, any questions. Counseling is often a foreign concept to many immigrants and refugees. I do not need an office to help people. Yet more Asians than Caucasians may live at a poverty level. Moreover, when adapting to the multi-cultural contexts of the . In addition, cultural beliefs regarding the etiology of illness (e.g., weakening of nerves, 18 an imbalance, 19 an obstruction of chi, 20 failure to be in harmony with nature), and distrust of and . You can use an interpreter or refer out, but try to help in some way. Individual counseling with an unbiased stranger can provide immigrants and refugees the opportunity they need to question the norms of anxiety, depression and trauma-based memories. Although the countries that produce refugees may change, the pain and suffering of individuals do not. Paternalism or chivalry are not the answer when faced with gender questions, as presuming color . Additionally, women with children may be reluctant to go to shelters, because they are an unfamiliar setting. For example, while beating is the most common type of torture, thermal and chemical burns, electrical torture, rape, sexual abuse, environmental manipulation, pharmacologic torture, asphyxiation and suspension by wrists are among other forms of torture used.4 Because torture may leave no telltale physical markings, careful history-taking provides relevant information to the physician. Dr. Carlson, Thank you very much for taking the time to read. Join HIAS and the ABA: Commission on Immigration on Wednesday, February 9th from 3:00-4:00pm ET, for the second webinar in a series of presentations for attorneys and accredited representatives representing Afghan Parolees seeking asylum. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. When interpreters are not available, or when the patient does not want an interpreter, the physician needs to speak slowly, repeat often and in different ways, and ask the patient to repeat back the directives to assess understanding. In addition, cultural beliefs regarding the etiology of illness (e.g., weakening of nerves,18 an imbalance,19 an obstruction of chi,20 failure to be in harmony with nature), and distrust of and unfamiliarity with Western medicine may also contribute to noncompliance. Cultural competence includes knowledge of a range of cultures, histories, world views, values, and beliefs; understanding of communication patterns and appropriate interviewing techniques; strengths and differences among and within diverse racial/ethnic groups; cultural expectations and help-seeking behaviors; and the integration of traditional, indigenous, spiritual practices that attend to the spiritual needs of families and children of color. 6 A study of undocumented immigrants (15%), documented immigrants (73%), and US-born Latinos (12%) treated in a Hispanic mental health program found that those who were undocumented were more likely to have anxiety, adjustment, and alcohol use disorders. ET. This concept plays a role in every family interaction at diverse degrees and influences both parents and childrens understanding of the world and themselves. These interpretation difficulties may arise when the newcomers first come in contact with Western physicians while maintaining their previously held beliefs and expectations of the healing roles of witch doctors and priests from their homelands. In some cultures, certain body parts are considered sacred or blood loss irreversible.12 Therefore, it is worth exploring patients' belief systems regarding illness, as sickness is often believed to arise from physical as well as metaphysical and supernatural forces. Best Practices for Child Welfare in Working With Families With Immigration Members (PDF - 1,222KB)
The ethnic and cultural backgrounds of these individuals are diverse, and many of them need support in order to thrive after migrating to the U.S. Social workers are instrumental in helping people in vulnerable immigrant communities access the tools they need to . Migration Policy Institute (2021)
I am an immigrant myself and a counselor. 2023, American Counseling Association. This may be because of cultural differences or the day-to-day survival routine while fleeing their countries. This can happen for a mixture of reasons but primarily is due to lingual hindrances for the parents. Chapter 5: The Perception and Experience of Everyday Discrimination Among U.S. Addressing Obstetric Health Disparities among Refugee Populations: Training the Next Generation of Culturally Humble OB/GYN Medical Providers. Working with transnational immigrants: expanding meanings of family, community, and culture . 116 Social Work / March-April 1984 Table 1. Supervised administration of some medicine (i.e., tuberculosis prophylaxis) has proven effective in several cities and may be helpful for certain noncompliant patients. All of the above (cross-cultural considerations, functional impairments, ableism) . Would you like email updates of new search results? As I attempt to explain what emotions are and as I ask each student how they are feeling today, I teach them a new word. The cultural aspects of treating patients are similar for all age-groups, but certain themes have greater relevance with the elderly. In some cultures, it is considered improper to maintain eye contact while talking to authority figures, and patients may avoid eye contact even when interested in the discussion.12 Although this behavior may be related to cultural differences, it may also be related to fear that a health problem may affect residence status in the host country.5, Frequently, problems arise when medical procedures are conducted. Child abuse and neglect may be the result of failed systems of care that further traumatize immigrant parents and children who are at greatest risk. 2021 Jun-Jul;33(3):326-333. doi: 10.1080/10401334.2020.1813585. As I have grown with the students throughout my internship, I have learned that there is universally power in their stories, both collectively and individually. During this time of transit, refugees face disintegration of their family structure, overcrowded living arrangements, inadequate nourishment and poor sanitation, leading to problems such as cholera, malnutrition and hepatitis. Women at risk need to be told about actions to take and phone numbers to call if they need to leave their situation. Although adult refugees are screened for HIV prior to their U.S. entry, they may become infected just before coming to the United States or become infected soon after entering the country. a. Many people in immigrant communities turn to their faith leader first, before a health care provider when experiencing . 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