Ethnic clients

Opolka, J. L., Rascati, K. L., Brown, C. M., Barner, J. C. et al. (2003). Ethnic differences in use of antipsychotic medication among Texas Medicaid clients with schizophrenia. /. Clin. Psychiatry, 64, 635-9. 

Assessment instruments may have cultural biases that overpatholo-gize ethnic-minority clients. True or False ... 

The same type of reaction can result from overt or covert racial prejudice. A large body of research supports the idea that ethnic-minority clients frequendy receive qualitatively worse care and quantitatively less attention from health care professionals in clinics and hospital. Sometimes a professional is not even aware of treating ethnic-minority clients differently than White clients. Again, counselors and therapists need to observe their own clinical behavior and note when they may be treating clients differently to identify whether there is a racial pattern to that trend. Another way to check on biases is to observe your personal behavior outside the office If you are engaging in biased behavior outside work, you likely will be engaging in biased behavior while at work, even if you attempt not to be. 

Similarly, counselors and therapists can be tempted to chastise or to try to alter cultural values or practices in which clients may engage. For example, maybe a client is a member of an ethnic-minority group that uses traditional healers in... 

Relapse prevention within ethnic-minority communities can look somewhat different than it does in a typical treatment center. Relapse prevention methods with ethnic-minority clients often include involvement in traditional cultural activities as part of the therapy. One important theme may be the restoration of the client into her or his rightful place within the family and the community. Another potentially important cultural issue to address with many ethnic-minority clients will be difficulties overcoming shame. Fligh-risk situations may vary across cultures, and a therapist or counselor should know the community well enough to understand cultural nuances related to risky relapse situations. 

Caucasian. In the United States, most testing clients are, like the majority of the population, Caucasian non-Jews. This is important for the testing laboratory to know because the Bayesian for carrying a common disease allele, such as that causing cystic fibrosis, differs from that of Ashkenazi Jews, Asians, or African Americans. In addition, Caucasian non-Jews of Northern European descent are more prone to different genetic diseases, such as hemochromatosis, than are individuals of other ethnicities. 

Social work practitioners encounter a wide range of ethnic and minority clients who present varied mental health problems and concerns. Although... 

Finally, social workers should not take a cookie-cutto- approach with all minority clients. The diverse range of minority clients and the regional differences that exist within larger ethnic minority groups requires that practitioners pay attention to the unique differences reflected by diversity... 

For example, two Hispanics, one a Puerto Rican and another Mexican, will have different political and socioeconomic hist( y, dialect, and belief systems. Acknowledging these differences allows the social work practitioner to examine carefully the applicability of current treatment models and determine if a relevant therapeutic framework is being used with minority clients. Rogler, Malgady, Costantino, and Blumenthal (1987) advocated culturally or ethnically sensitive services that include focused, therapeutic models and emphasize short-term problem-solving reproaches when working with Hispanic clients. Many of these approaches are useful in helping Hispanic and other minority clients cope with the socio-environ-mental problems they encounter. 

The social worker needs to become familiar with the minority client s ethnic and cultural background. It is important to remember that even... 

There are special considerations related to inequities in the patterns of medication prescribing among certain client populations. These are important considerations as social workers need to ensure that factors such as ethnicity, gender, or age not determine the accessibility to medications or the overprescribing of drugs. 

It is also important to realize that many times clients may distrust a practitioner who looks or acts differently from them. Therefore, it is important to discuss cultural differences and be sure the social worker is aware of her/his own cultural beliefs and mores and how this may conflict with that of the client s. Unfortunately, in a hurried health care environment and in a society that does not always appreciate differences, this may be overlooked. The social worker can be a vital link in ensuring that culturally based ethnic practices are used and that clients maintain their right to integrate cultural practices as they seek to establish self-determination in regard to health and mental health treatments. 

When working with ethnic or culturally diverse clients in terms of assessment and psychopharmacology it is critical to identify and evaluate... 

Do the results of monitoring of program satisfaction, especially in relation to the respect shown to clients, show differences by ethnic group ... 

Don t assume someone can t use therapy, based on their ethnicity, culture or intelligence (Table 12.21. The essential factor across all therapies is the relationship between the therapist and the client. Before referring, consider suitability, based on ... 

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