The CSHA board has renewed the organization’s commitment to the issues of diversity, inclusion and culture by: establishing a new Board Diversity and Inclusion Committee in 2019 as part of its evolved governance structure and policies; and by identifying diversity, inclusion and culture as one of two organizational strategic priorities in 2020. The CSHA board understands and embraces the work required to make meaningful impacts in these areas. To read more about CSHA’s history of cultivating diversity in the profession and in the organization, go to this LINK.
Following is a list of resources addressing diversity, inclusion and culture. CSHA expresses its deep appreciation to the Board Diversity & Inclusion Committee, the Content Advisory Committee and the Professional Practices Advisory Committee for their collaborative work in developing these resources.
The content contains some information that is available to both CSHA members and nonmembers, as well as additional “Deep Dive” information for CSHA members only.
Disclaimer: There is new research and many updated resources becoming available all the time. Although we can’t cover all of it, we will continue to incorporate new information as it becomes available and is relevant to our organization.
A Lifelong Journey
Learning about what’s presented here is a process – fueled by reading, watching, trying on new ideas and talking with others. It’s not just checking a box. Rather, learning about diversity, culture and inclusion is a lifelong journey.
Social Justice is the overarching concept that represents myriad ideas that impact our profession and the human lives we touch through our services. Gewirtz (1998, p. 482) tells us that social justice is “the struggle to counter the social structure of the system that often marginalizes our minoritized clients and families. To engage in social justice work is to engage in work that supports the belief that professional-client relationships should be based on “recognition, respect, care, and mutuality.”
How do we address social injustice as a clinician? Cultural humility “provides a lens for framing advocacy necessary to address social justice concerns” and a mindset of being a culturally humble practitioner (Fisher, 2019).
While continuing to develop our cultural sensitivity, awareness, and knowledge of different cultures, values, and beliefs, we also want to embrace the concept of cultural humility. Cultural humility recognizes the importance of understanding self and others while acknowledging our own prejudices and cultural misperceptions (Danso, 2018). Instead of pursuing the idea of possessing expert knowledge about other cultures (i.e., cultural competence) as an end goal, cultural humility encourages us to develop as lifelong learners, stepping out of our comfort zone to listen, be curious about what we don’t know, and learn from others – from those who may be different from us, including our clients. To become a culturally-responsive clinician, engaging in ongoing self-critique and self-reflection, learning from our client’s past and current experiences, and taking in different perspectives and interpretations from other people is necessary. Cultural humility allows us to challenge power differentials in our relationships with clients and colleagues. It is time to relinquish our roles as experts to form partnerships with our clients that value their expertise in their histories, cultural groups, and treatment priorities (Falicov, 2016).
Cultural Humility as a Starting Point
The following four links provide a starting point from which to explore these resources.
- TED Talk on Cultural Humility, Juliana Mosley, Ph.D., TEDxWestChester https://youtu.be/Ww_ml21L7Ns
- Things to Know: Cultural Humility https://hogg.utexas.edu/3-things-to-know-cultural-humility
- Cultural Humility: A Lifelong Practice https://socialwork.sdsu.edu/insitu/diversity/cultural-humility-a-lifelong-practice/
- Project READY: Module 8: Cultural Competence & Cultural Humility https://ready.web.unc.edu/section-1-foundations/module-8/
Let’s be humble, respectful and ready for another lifelong learning journey.