Culturally Competent Social Workers

Thanks Tamla, first, I want say nice to meet you and a great job on this week’s discussion video. I would like to reflect back concerning your thoughts about being a competent social worker with the Hispanic population. I agree that social workers should have an understanding about the culture and the concerns that are facing this population and if the knowledge is not there, then research would be a great resource. Social workers must be culture competent to keep from being a failure to our clients and in our social work careers, we must remember that immigrants are transitioning to this form of life called the American way, so by learning about this culture will give the necessary skills to engage with individuals and families. According to the National Social Worker Code of Ethics (2010) Social workers should understand culture and its function in human behavior and society, recognizing the strengths that exist in all cultures. …show more content…
Social workers should obtain education about and seek to understand the nature of social diversity and oppression with respect to race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, political belief, religion, immigration status, and mental or physical ability. According to Colon (1996) culturally competent practice focuses on the need for a general sensitivity to cultural factors that may influence clients. Being sensitive to cultural variables can be conceptualized as holding a cultural lens to human behavior and making allowances for the possibility of cultural