Discussion responses to classmate

classmate one Jerry: In my community, we have many mental health centers that are adequate from drug addiction to mental health, but due to caseloads, it is failing the clients. Because those who have no healthcare or state healthcare are able to go to Peninsula behavior health with low cost for the client, in order to support the clients better we need more mental health workers which would lower the caseload. Lowering the caseload will allow the caseworker to focus and have more time with the client then 15mins at a time, in order to take any steps for this I would have to advocate the state budget board that the need for mental health is a bigger requirement then we once thought, that if we can reduce caseloads by getting more staff we might be able to provide better care which would help reduce in the client’s mental health episodes. This can lead to better self-care skills for a client which will allow them to handle what life will bring to them, which can allow them to get a job and provide better housing or food for them. Adequate sleep and food for the body is important without it out mental state can suffer greatly, which can worsen our already damaged mental health with this added support they will be able to provide for themselves which can help as I stated before reduce mental health episodes.

Home. (2020, July 13). Retrieved July 22, 2020, from https://peninsulabehavioral.org/

classmate two Jerry: I do not believe America will ever have universal healthcare, in America health is seen as business and luxury and not seen as a right for all Americans. If we have universal healthcare in America, we the middle class will suffer more due to tax’s then the poor or the rich, this will also degrade services. In Canada they decide if your health problem is emergent or non-emergent not you the client or the doctor, in America we the clients have the right to demand a surgery or medical procedure to be done at the earliest of times. We would also see low-quality doctors because the pay could be altered drastically that it would not be worth it to a person to be under that much stress from schooling to working a job in the medical field. For social workers too, we would see a decree of income, slower support for our client from all agencies and be left with no resources to help in any way. Because we would be unable to provide timely care for a client our caseload would get bigger and unmanageable to were we would be back logged in requests to find a medical provider or mental health specialist for our client, this could be up to 2 to 5 years once the US government deems that the help or mental health is server enough that it is now emergent.

Why Universal Healthcare is Bad for America? (2019, September 10). Retrieved July 22, 2020, from https://www.formosapost.com/why-universal-healthcare-is-bad-for-america/

classmate three carla: Cultural competence is an essential component to social work and intervention. Understanding the intended population for intervention and recognizing the cultural practices related to language, religious practice, influence of extended family, influence of “outside” individuals and engagement of community. The linguistic, social and religious diversity among those requiring intervention is at the core of the disparity in healthcare outcome and intervention services. Since those who are part of racial and ethnic minority groups are disproportionately affected by chronic illness (McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University, n.d.), social workers and healthcare providers must be well versed in meeting the linguistic and cultural needs of the diverse population which requires their care. Not only will this create a more enriched understanding of different cultural practices, but it will foster trust between provider and client, making the social work relationship more meaningful. The appreciation that an individual may sense when able to communicate in his or her own language while a social worker either relies upon his or her own language acuity or via interpreter can cause those in crisis to feel more empowered to reveal pertinent information that may aid in resolution of difficulties.
Three challenges to effectively meeting clients where they are culturally are: bias, ethnocentrism, and perceived lack of time. Bias is a human tendency, but must be addressed in social work before the needs of deserving clientele can be addressed. A social worker who harbors preconceived notions of those for whom English is a second language, for example, is ill prepared to effectively engage clientele. Clientele may then feel mistrustful and unable to fully describe the depth of need. The culturally competent reaction to meeting and reducing bias is to self-educate and recognize that the only people who are authorities on the difficulty of being part of a marginalized group are the members of the group themselves. Use of interpreters can mitigate language barriers.
Ethnocentrism is the belief in the superiority of your own cultural group and the summary inferiority of others (www.cultureplusconsulting.com
(Links to an external site.)
). It is a difficult admission that plays a large role in barring cultural competence. The belief that one’s own ethnicity or culture is the default measure of success and relevance is a dangerous one. This causes members of differing cultural groups to be viewed through the lens of “other” while elevating predominant groups unfairly. The lens of ethnocentrism causes one group to be the standard to which other groups and practices are compared. This is unfair to the members of different groups, and minimizes the advances and cultural traits that create the diverse fabric of American society. Carefully tailoring language and to be more inclusive and sensitive is a means for management of ethnocentrism. Examples are: referring to languages other than English in their specific categories instead of describing them as a monolith or considering them “foreign” languages. Instead of describing Hebrew as written “backwards,” describing it as “written from right to left.” Challenging ethnocentrism with simple changes creates a more comprehensive understanding of the pervasive nature of cultural erasure.
Perceived lack of time to properly engage and meaningfully understand diverse cultural groups is another barrier to effective cultural competency and social work. Simply allowing oneself the time to examine long-held perceptions and work to address and learn from them ensures proper mitigation. Students and social workers are pressed for time, but there is always adequate time to stop and consider the roots of cultural incompetence and how detrimental the actions which result are to the populations that we are able to serve.

References:
Taylor, R. (n.d.). Addressing Barriers to Cultural Competence : Journal for Nurses in Professional Development. Retrieved July 21, 2020, from https://journals.lww.com/jnsdonline/Abstract/2005/07000/Addressing_Barriers_to_Cultural_Competence.1.aspx
Cultural Competence in Health Care: Is it important for people with chronic conditions? (2019, February 13). Retrieved July 21, 2020, from https://hpi.georgetown.edu/cultural/
Menzies, F., & Felicity Menzies is CEO and Principal Consultant at Include-Empower.Com. (2019, January 13). Ethnocentrism: The Cultural Superiority Complex. Retrieved July 21, 2020, from https://cultureplusconsulting.com/2015/06/04/ethnocentrism/

classmate four Donna: Dear Professor Matthews and Classmates,
Here are some thoughts regarding Institutional racism and Cultural racism:
Institutional racism exists on a macro level. Institutional racism occurs in social institutions, such as legal, economic, political, and education and, attitudes that are reflected in the larger society. Examples of institutional racism are policies, programs, and procedures that systematically benefit members of certain racial groups more than others. These acts and policies tend to be embedded in social systems, are difficult to identify and change, and are often illegal. Discriminatory health care and other policies and practices make it difficult for minority people to get adequate attention and services with their healthcare. Just a couple of examples of the disparity, proving there is racism in health care for Black Americans, would be the lack of access to mental health services, and to the lower numbers of disease screenings for Black Americans. And in regard to education, often times minority populated elementary schools are not always given the same opportunities and programs, as the white populated elementary schools. Causing minority students to not have a fair playing field when it comes to preparing for college, etc.
Cultural racism also exists on a larger level. This racism derives itself from behaviors, philosophies, and ways of living by groups of people. Instead of examining structural or institutional factors that inhibit a group’s success, the group’s cultural context is blamed. An example of cultural racism is the widely held belief that the pervasive poverty experienced by the black community is caused by the break-up of the black family, single mother homes, and inferior parenting practices. From this viewpoint, the solution to poverty in the black community is to restore men as fathers and breadwinners in the family and to improve parenting behaviors. However, this viewpoint fails to recognize the institutional racism prevalent in employment, the judicial system, and other arenas that perpetuate poverty for this group. In connection with this I recently saw a clip of Jamie Foxx having an interview with an English t.v. station, and Jamie spoke about his dad having been arrested when he was a kid, for $25 dollars’ worth of marijuana on him. Jamie’s dad was a well-liked teacher in the community and ended up going to jail for about six or seven years for the marijuana possession. Jamie said if his dad would have been white, there is no way he would have gotten that long of a jail sentence. I agree with Jamie on that statement. And in regard to people thinking black parents are less able to raise a family then white parents, is just the stupidest thing I have ever heard.
“The key to combating racism is addressing a racist system, not searching out racist individuals” (Lovchik, 2018). Author Lovchik seems to think that fighting racism is about going up against a racist system, and not looking at the racist individual. Yes, we need to fight the racist system, but I believe it starts somewhere, and that is with the racist individual. So, you have a racist individual who passes their belief on to their children, which in turn the racist belief is passed on to their grandchildren, and so-on and so-on, a horrendous cycle. And if the racism is never challenged, it becomes a way of thinking, a way of policy, a racist system. And this racist system must be stopped-in-its-tracks!

Donna
References:
Rogers, A. T. (2019). Human behavior in the social environment: Perspectives on development and the life course (5th ed.). Routledge.

Lovchik, J. (2018). RACISM : Reality built on a myth. Resource Publications.