Module 801-1
Basic Competencies in Working with CALD Communities in a Mental Health and Addiction Context
Remote face to face Online
This module aims to provide a critical cultural understanding and the application of cultural awareness, knowledge, sensitivity and skills when working with culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) Asian, Middle Eastern, Latin American, African and European communities to achieve culturally safe, equitable and responsive outcomes.
On completing this course, you will have developed new skills, behaviours and attitudes required for working with the diverse migrant and refugee communities from Asian, Middle Eastern, Latin American, African and European backgrounds in a mental health and addiction context. You will be able to recognise the inequities experienced by these communities and how to address them. You will gain ways to engage with these communities that recognise cultural differences, acculturation, intergenerational conflicts and other sensitive issues.
The following key topics are covered:
Introduction
- Cultural competence and safety
- Importance of cultural competence
- Health equity
- Ethnic groups in NZ
- About the diverse Asian communities
- About the diverse Refugee communities
Cultural awareness
- Importance of cultural awareness
- Recognising cultural differences
- Understanding cultural values
- Comparison of cultural values
- Being aware of own values
Sensitivity
- What is cultural sensitivity?
- Biases and prejudices
- Identifying biases
- Knowing your ethnocentrism level
- Sensitivity in practice
Knowledge
- Role of cultural knowledge
- Acculturation
- Intergenerational conflicts
- Issues requiring sensitive exploring
- Application in practice
Skills
- Checklist for engagement
- Cross-cultural meta-skills
- Application of skills in practice
At the end of the module, you should be able to:
- understand the importance of cultural competence and what is required to achieve culturally safe and equity outcomes for CALD communities in a mental health and addiction context
- be familiar with some demographic data of major ethnic groups in New Zealand, including information about migrant and refugee communities from Asian, Middle Eastern, Latin American, African and European countries
- be able to recognise cultural differences and know how to apply awareness in practice
- be able to recognise bias and know how to apply sensitivity in practice
- understand ways to approach and explore cultural-specific knowledge, acculturation, intergenerational and other issues requiring sensitive exploring
- gain approaches in culturally competent practice.
This programme is recommended for the mental health and addiction workforce working in hospitals, specialist services, primary care, and non-governmental organisations.
