Minority clients

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

In spite of the numerous strengths that assessment brings to the treatment of a drug problem, many measures are culturally limited. Cultural bias of measures may be one of the most poorly understood concepts in the treatment community. Researchers have discovered over time that assessment can be culturally biased in a number of ways, some that are quite obvious and others that are much more subtle. These biases can negatively affect the treatment of minority clients by producing false information about the clients and their drug problems, which in turn... 

Family involvement may be essential when conducting therapy or treatment with a minority client. If the family members have aided in the development of a treatment plan by providing helpful information, and understand the rationale behind the treatment plan, then they are more likely to support treatment as it unfolds. Again, this should be done only with the consent of the client, but it can be incredibly helpful to have collateral support for the treatment plan if the client consents to their active involvement. 

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. 

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. 

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

A third consideration when working with minority clients who seek mental health services requires that social workers become aware of the oppression that minority clients have encountered. Efforts should be made to understand how institutionalized oppression has affected the minority client s perception of helping professionals outside their culture or race, as well as the perception and the utilization patterns of mental health services (Lee, 1996). According to Lee (1996), this includes active discussions with the client on how oppressive factors have contributed to the client s current problems. 

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... 

Gustafson, K. E., McNamara, J. R. (1987). Confidentiality with minor clients Issues and guidelines for therapists. Professional Psychology Research and Practice, 18(5), 503-508. 

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