My name is xxx xxx. I am currently pursuing xxxx at APIC. I am a creative thinker and like to work out alternative solutions to issues, and I have an unbiased mind to anything that will work out. My ability to communicate effectively with everyone has also contributed to my ability to offer solutions to problems, and that’s the reason why I relish challenges. I would like to be an active team leader, and I believe my creativity and ability to anticipate problems and invent solutions will be significant in achieving this dream. I would like to be a social worker in my county to apply the knowledge that I have learned at APIC. With the knowledge gained and the position of a social worker together with my creativity and ability to communicate effectively, I believe I will contribute to solving problems in the society. I chose to study at APIC because the institution offer opportunities that would enable me to realize and nature my talent. Their customized programs allow me to develop professionalism and competence that prepares me for my dream of being a competent social worker.
Arredondo & Toporek (2004) observes that attitudes are the values and principles that guide social work professionals in their work. These values enable the social workers to appreciate the existence of variation amongst families, persons, and societies. Fouad et. al (2009) observes that Sociocultural competence necessitates a devotion to the advancement of knowledge and gratitude for the different cultures and becoming conscious of one’s values, opinions and culture and their influence on the worldview. According to Sue (2001) it is expected that as a social worker I will work in communities with diverse cultural backgrounds and I must have to navigate through the various ethical issues and come up with solutions within the context of a given culture. Therefore, these social-cultural competencies are of importance to me because they enable me to explore the areas of personal values that bring conflict and those that do not. Furthermore, according to Cox et. al, (2009) the principles of ethics and values offer me the opportunity of understanding the points at which the dominant and marginalized society agree and disagree. With such a wealth of knowledge and preparedness, I can achieve my dream of an efficient social worker.
Social workers are expected to underscore the significance of being aware of one’s personal culture the experience across other cultures. This is because a lot of factors determine a person’s own cultural experience, for instance, the background history, ethnicity, and traditional practices (Bassey & Melluish, 2013). The principle of cultural empathy enables the social worker to contemplate on what influences peoples beliefs and perception including appreciating the isms (Ridley & Udipi, 2002). Therefore, the social-cultural competence of cultural empathy will equip me with the cultural empathy of all prejudgment, stereotypes, authority, and opportunity. Furthermore, this cultural competence will enable me to possess cultural humility which is the antidote of being conscious of not criticizing other cultures in preference to mine (Hook, et. al, 2013). Thus I will be in a position of seeing the oppressed persons and societies as a valuable resource of the details of their culture and those that marginalize them as students in need of learning.
According to Saunders, Haskins & Vasquez (2015) Social-cultural competence of professional education requires the social worker to endeavor to maintain and advance his/her professional knowledge and skill. Lynch (1992) notes that Developing cultural competence involves a devotion to continuous learning and self-examination of one’s knowledge, expertise, and capabilities in dealing with different cultures. The knowledge and skills required to be an effective social worker can be acquired from formal and informal sources such as programs offered at APIC, seminars, studying articles on cultural competency, engaging with people from diverse cultures, values, and practices, linking with community agencies, client consultation on their experiences, etc. Professional education is of significance to me because it instills in me the fact that cultural competence is not an exhausted field and that as a professional I am expected to be open minded and ready to study and defy the conventions that exist.
Social-cultural competence of cross-cultural leadership emphasizes the need for social workers to be devoted to social justice and the championing of human rights (Caligiuri & Tarique, 2012). Under the principle of cross-cultural leadership, social workers are expected to fight for conditions that inspire reverence for socio-cultural diversity in the world by striving for policies and practises that exhibit respect for diversity, uphold the development of knowledge related to culture, champion for programs and institutes that are mindful of cultural competence and are for the advancement of policies that favour equality and social justice for everybody (Green, 1995). As a result, the social, cultural competence of cross-cultural leadership is important to me because it imparts the expert value that it is my responsibility to initiate and champion for cultural competence as a promising social worker, in societies, in institutions and the political systems of the society.
It can be said that Professor Preston Dyer is one of the most celebrated faces in the field of social work alive today because he meets the standards of cultural competence in social work according to NASW (2001). With his BA from Baylor University, Preston worked as a clinical social worker majoring in mental health and employed the socio-cultural competence of professional education and advanced his studies and acquired his MSW from Louisiana State University, his doctorate from Texas Woman’s University and several professional certifications, publications, and research. He later joined the Baylor University and was charged with the task of developing the undergraduate social work program and the use of social-cultural competence of leadership and cultural empathy he served for thirty years and was appointed the chair of the school of social work as its founder (NASW, 2015). Due to his adherence to the principle of ethics and values, Dr. Dyer stopped the work of chair and started lecturing full time, and in 1970, he began offering services to his clients privately and up to date he and his wife are certified marriage counselors.
Professor Pitt-Catsouphes passion for professional education enabled her to pursue her BA in Tufts University, her masters in Boston College and doctorate from Boston University. Her use and adoption of the competence of professional education have enabled her to be the best female social worker alive today. Dr. Marcie has developed a passion for social justice due to her love for the cultural competence of socio-cultural leadership which enabled her to be appointed the director of the social work program at Boston College and the Associate Dean for the school of Development and Academic Affairs. She has also used and developed the aspect of cross-cultural leadership which is evident in her founding the Work and Family Research Network which has fully grown. The principle of cultural empathy and ethics and values has enabled her to conduct and supervise seminars to individuals and organizations of divers’ cultural background, beliefs, and values.
When I compare and contrast my competencies with those of Dr. Preston, I find that there are both similarities and differences. I am a creative thinker and enjoy finding solutions to problems that affect the society irrespective of gender, geography and any ism. Just like Dr. Preston who is also a creative thinker because of his advocacy for the problems that exist in families such as gender inequality (Simmons et. al, 2008). He has offered many solutions in his marital and pre-marital counseling, an area which many fear to venture. He is also an effective team leader, just as it is my dream, hence the reason why he has served as a leader in different organizations in different capacities such as Baylor University. Contrariwise, he is very much educated thanks to his adoption of the professional education of which I am yet to pursue.
Professor Pitt-Catsouphes competence of professional education has enabled her to acquire extensive experience in various organizations. She has conducted seminars, lectures, etc. on various issues affecting the society as opposed to my professional competence which is limited due to my little education which I am still pursuing. Additionally, I am passionate about social justice and equality in service delivery in institutions just as professor Marcie advocated for the same while at Boston University faculty of Social Work. She is also cross-cultural competent as evidenced in her leadership role as the founder of the Work and Family Research Network and as a leader in various positions during her work life. I am also a competent leader because the abilities that I possess such as effective communication and creative thinker.
In summary, the four competencies of ethics and values, cultural empathy, professional education and cross-cultural leadership are workable and a key factor in achieving my career goals. This is factual because the two best social work practitioners have used and developed the same competencies to each where they are today. For instance, the use of the four competencies has enabled professor Dyer to be the top most certified marriage counselor and enricher because he can easily fit into any cultural background. Furthermore, Professor Marcie is another living testimony. She has attained her esteemed position courtesy of the use and development of the four competencies. Since I also am ready to use and develop the four competencies, then I believe that my desire of becoming a professional social worker in my county is valid and attainable.
References
Arredondo, P., & Toporek, R. (2004). Multicultural counseling competencies= ethical practice. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 26(1), 44-55.
Bassey, S., & Melluish, S. (2013). Cultural competency for mental health practitioners: A selective narrative review. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 26(2), 151-173.
Caligiuri, P., & Tarique, I. (2012). Dynamic cross-cultural competencies and global leadership effectiveness. Journal of World Business, 47(4), 612-622.
Cox, K., Sullivan, N., Reiman, J., & Vang, C. (2009). Highlighting the role of cross-cultural competence in ethically sound practice. The Journal of Social Work Values and Ethics, 6(1).
Fouad, N. A., Grus, C. L., Hatcher, R. L., Kaslow, N. J., Hutchings, P. S., Madson, M. B., … & Crossman, R. E. (2009). Competency benchmarks: A model for understanding and measuring competence in professional psychology across training levels. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 3(4S), S5.
Green, J. W. (1995). Cultural awareness in the human services: A multi-ethnic approach. Prentice Hall.
Hook, J. N., Davis, D. E., Owen, J., Worthington Jr, E. L., & Utsey, S. O. (2013). Cultural humility: Measuring openness to culturally diverse clients. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 60(3), 353.
Lynch, E. W. (1992). From culture shock to cultural learning. National Association of Social Workers. (2001). Standards for cultural competence in social work practice. Retrieved on July 28, 2017 https://docplayer.net/18872797-National-association-of-social-workers-standards-for-cultural competence-in-social-work-practice.html
Ridley, C. R., & Udipi, S. (2002). Putting cultural empathy into practice. Counseling across cultures, 5, 317-333.
Saunders, J. A., Haskins, M., & Vasquez, M. (2015). Cultural competence: A journey to an elusive goal. Journal of Social Work Education, 51(1), 19-34.
Simmons, C. S., Diaz, L., Jackson, V., & Takahashi, R. (2008). NASW cultural competence indicators: A new tool for the social work profession. Journal of Ethnic & Cultural Diversity in Social Work, 17(1), 4-20.
Sue, D. W. (2001). Multidimensional facets of cultural competence. The counseling psychologist, 29(6), 790-821.
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