Antecedentes Nacionales

Groupleadersshouldbeawarethattheirown ethnicitiesandstandpointscanaffecttheir interpretationofgroupmembers’behavior. Thegroupleaderbringstothegroupasenseof identity,aswellasfeelings,assumptions, thoughts,andreactions.Leadersshouldbe consciousofhowtheirownbackgroundsaffect theirabilitytoworkwithparticularpopula- tions.Forexample,afemaletherapistwhohas surviveddomesticviolencemayhavesevere difficultiesworkingwithspouseabusers. Anotherexampleisthatmalegroupleaders maybeinclinedtocallonmalemembersmore oftenthanfemalemembersofthegroup.Ifso, theyneedtomakeaconsciousefforttocallon

allmembersequally,regardlessofgender. Cliniciansalsoneedtoevaluatehowcompetent theyaremanagingissuesofculturaldiversity. Incaseswhereculturalorlanguagebarriersare verystrong,agroupleadermayneedtorefera clienttoanothergroupormakespecialaccom- modationstoallowtheclienttoparticipate. Reedandhercolleagues(1997)havedeveloped alistofprinciplesforgroupleaderstoevalu- atetheirownattitudesaboutdiversity(see Figure3-8).Figure3-9(seepp.50–52)isaself- assessmentguideforgroupcounselorsworking withdiversepopulations.

Figure 3-8 Guidelines for Clinicians on Evaluating Bias and Prejudice

•Theprocessesofgainingknowledgeabouttheworkingsofdiscriminationand oppressionandforguardingagainstbiasshouldbeongoingandlifelong. •Cliniciansshouldlearnabouttheirownculturallyshapedassumptionssoasto

refrainfromunconsciouslyimposingthemonothersandshouldexhibitapro- fessional’svalues,standards,andactions.

•Cliniciansshouldworkhardertorecognizeinstitutionalizedracismthanthey dotoperceiveindividualprejudice;thatis,theyshouldrecognizehowbiasis structuredintopolicies,practices,andnormsinprogramrelations.

•Cliniciansshouldquestiontheknowledgebaseandtheoriesthatunderlietheir practiceinordertoeliminateprejudiceandbiasinthatpractice.

•Cliniciansshouldlookattheirownfeelingsandreactionsandlistentothefeed- backofotherstorecognizehowtheirownideashavebeenunconsciously shapedbydiscriminatorysocialdynamics.

•Clinicianscanusetheirknowledgeofhowtheirpersonalcharacteristicsare likelytoaffectarangeofotherstoreducecommunicationproblemsanddis- putesbetweengroupmembers.

Source:AdaptedfromReedetal.1997.Usedwithpermission.

Figure 3-9 Self-Assessment Guide

Thequestionsthatfollowcanserveasaguideandself-assessmentforgroup leadersworkingwithclientsofdiversecultures.

Areyoufamiliarwithabroadrangeofspecialpopulations,particularlythosein yourcommunity?

•Whatculturalcustomsandhealthbeliefs,practices,andattitudesof ethnic/racialgroupswouldaffecttreatmentinagroupsituation? •Wouldtensionswithinanybroadculturalgroup––sayonethatincludes

Cubans,Mexicans,andPuertoRicans––poseproblemsintherapy? •Whatlanguagesarespokenwithinthecommunity?

•Whatarethetypicalcommunicationstyles,includingbodylanguage,ofvarious racial/ethnicgroups?Areclientslikelytospeakinagroupsetting?Wouldthey speakonlywithothersoftheirsameculture?Wouldtheyspeakinanethnically mixedgroup?

•Howdoclientsthinkabouttheculturesoftheworld?Dotheyhavepronounced prejudices?Howdotheyunderstandthemajorandminorculturalsubgroups thatmakeupthecommunity?

•Howdolanguage,socialclass,race/ethnicity,andgenderaffecttheoutward signsandsymptomsofsubstanceabuse,emotionaldistress,andmentalillness? •Inanylocalcultures,dospecificsocialstresses,suchashomelessnessoruncer- tainimmigrationstatus,complicatetheproblemofcopingwithsubstanceabuse andpsychiatricdisorders?

•Whatarecommunityviewsaboutdifferentkindsofsubstances?Isalcoholmore acceptablethanmarijuana?Marijuanamoreacceptablethancocaine?Are maleswithaddictionstoleratedmorethanfemales?

•Howdovariousculturalsubgroupsperceivewomeninthecommunity?The elderly?Lesbian,gay,andbisexualpersons?

Doyouunderstandyourownthoughts,feelings,andexperiencesregardingother cultures?

•Withwhatculturalgroupsotherthanyourowndoyouhavefrequentcontact? •Withwhatethnicgroupsdoyouhavecontact?Howfrequently?

•Whataresomeofthekeycharacteristicsofthesegroups?

•Whatdoyouknowabouttheprincipalculturalgroupsinthecountry?Inyour community?

•WhatarethemainethnicgroupsintheUnitedStates? •Whataretheimportantcharacteristicsofyourownculture?

•Howdoesyourcultureaffectthewayyouinteractwithothers?Whatisyour culture’sstyleofinteraction?

Criteria for the Placement of Clients in Groups 50

Figure 3-9 Self-Assessment Guide (continued)

•Doyouhaveapersonalstylethatdiffersfromyourculture’snorms? •Towardwhichculturalgroupsdoyoufeelpositive?

Whichgroupsmakeyoufeeluneasyoruncomfortable?

•Areyoucomfortablecounselingpersonswithsexualorientationsdifferent fromyours?

•Haveyouworkedwithavarietyofagegroups?

•Doyouhavesubstantialknowledgeofanyparticularpopulation’skey attributesandvaluesregardingchildrearing,marriage,financialmatters, andothermajormattersoflife?

•Doyouknowanyothergroup’ssocialandpoliticalhistorywellenoughto predictitsimpactongroupdynamicsaroundagivenissue?

Whatresourcesinthecommunityareavailabletomeettheneedsofspecial populations?

•Arecofacilitatorswithspecialexpertise,suchasfluencyinotherlanguages, availabletoassistwithgroups?

•Areservicesavailableinotherlanguages?Havesupportgroupsbeendesigned forracial/ethnicgroups?Lesbiansandgaymen?Women?Elderlypeople? •WhatState- andcommunity-basedorganizationsprovidesocialservicesfor

peoplefromnonmainstreamcultures?

Whatsystemicbarriersandstaffattitudesandbeliefsinhibitculturalsensitivity andcompetenceinyourprograms?

•Iscross-culturaltrainingavailabletogroupleaders?

•Areanystaffmembersfluentinlanguagesspokenbypotentialclientsingroup? •Istheresomeoneinyouragencyororganizationwhoassistsclientswithsocial

servicessupport,includingMedicaid?

Whatarethecharacteristicsofthepersonabouttobeplaced?

•Aretheclient’slanguageskillsadequatetopermitparticipationinthisgroup? •Towhatdegreeistheclientacculturated?Forexample,howlonghasa

Salvadoranbeeninthiscountry? •Istheclientdiscriminatedagainst?

•Doesthisclientsharetraits(forexample,educationalattainment,socioeconom- icstatus,motivationlevel)withothersinthegroupwhoarenotfromthesame population?

•Howfamiliaristheclientwiththegoalsoftherapy?Withgrouptherapy?

Figure 3-9 Self-Assessment Guide (continued)

•Howdoestheclientcurrentlyrelatetothetherapist?Totreatmentingeneral? •Howwouldtheclientfitintoanexistinggroup?Wouldtheclientbetheonly

representativeofthatcultureinthegroup?Whatisthecurrentmakeupofthe groupwithrespecttoculturaldiversity?Whatviewsdocurrentmembershold towardtheprospectivemember’sculture?

•Howlonghasthepersonbeenaresidentofyourcommunity?Istheclienttrav- elingfromanothercommunityfortherapy?Howlonghasthepersonbeena residentofthisgeographicalarea?

•Wouldtheclientfitinbetterwithahomogeneousgroup;forexample,asingle- sexgroupforawomanwhohasbeenavictimofsexualabuseorincest? •Howdoestheclient’sfamilyhandleissuesofpowerandcontrol?Independence

andautonomy?Trust?Communicationoffeelings?

•Doesthecultureoforiginprovidetraditionalhealingpracticesthatcouldbe usedinthegroup?

•Mightspecificculturalissuesaffecttherecoveryprocess?

•Towhatextentwillthenewclientadapttoanexistinggroup’snorms?

•Willchangesthatsatisfythegroup’snormsalienatetheclientfromtheculture oforigin?

•Whatarethealternativestoplacingthepersoninaspecificgroup?What accommodationsmayhavetobemade?

Source:AdaptedfromWinkelman1995.Usedwithpermission.