Competency 4: Engage Diversity and Difference in Practice

I have studied courses on the family, human behavior, and cultural diversity.  I  have engaged with clients of all socioeconomic backgrounds in my field practice experience. In SOWK 3350  Professor Butler challenged students to  "know thyself". In her class I was instructed how to created a social history assessment, eco-map, and genogram. After completing a personal genogram I gained a deeper understanding of how my bio/psych/social experiences have shaped who I am today. These  lessons have  increased my self awareness,  understanding of  the person-in-environment,  and help me to eliminate  personal biases.

I have use my knowledge and skills to work with diverse populations at my full time job within MNPS. When I begin working in the department of Support Services I had many beliefs about why students were truant from school. After conducting individual interviews and making home visits, I learned that my assumptions were  incorrect. When  questioning  students about why they were truant from school I found  listening  to be a very important  interviewing  skill. In order to serve my clients effectively I must look beyond biases, assumptions, skin color, class, religion, and gender. During professional development I attended  poverty  stimulations and recognized the extent of which inequality  exists in our social systems.

Overall I have a gained a greater understanding of  how diversity shapes each individual's life experience and values. I will provide examples of my how my educational training and volunteer experiences have enriched my cultural competence and appreciation.