CULTURAL COMPETENCY ISELA ARRAS DIRECTOR OF TRAINING KCADV

CULTURAL COMPETENCY ISELA ARRAS DIRECTOR OF TRAINING KCADV

NASW Definition: Cultural Competency Refers to the process by which individuals and systems respond respectfully and effectively to people of all cultures, languages, classes, races, ethnic backgrounds, religions, and other diversity factors in a manner that recognizes, affirms, and values the worth of individuals, families, and communities and protects and preserves the dignity of each.

VIOLENCE Violence is anything that threatens human integrity, and leads someone to feel hopelessness and/or helplessness ~Dr. Martin Luther King

SPHERE OF INFLUENCE

RACISM HETEROSEXISM

WHAT WE CAN DO… • Presumption of Innocence: When something goes wrong around me, people do not look to me first, or even second, as a probable cause of the problem. • Presumption of Worthiness: The presumption that I am worthy, deserving and good enough to receive, time energy, resources, investment, attention, services, respect, and the benefit of the doubt. • Presumption of Competence: I was always treated as if I was competent, and then given the autonomy, encouragement and feedback to prove it. Trusting that someone is capable of participating actively, efficiently, knowledgeably, and successfully

UNDERMINED PRESUMPTIONS Innocence • racial profiling • welfare drug testing for poor persons • “abusing the system” • others? Worthiness Competence • reducing benefits because people don’t need assistance • underfunding of government funding for service providers/ safety net • others? • discriminatory hiring practices • forcing people to make decisions contrary to what they identify as their needs • others?

EXAMPLES OF PRESUMPTIONS AT WORK Innocence Worthiness Competence • eliminating the use the term “illegal alien” by media • not questioning what victims of rape “were wearing”, etc. • not relying on the idea of “culture” to allow us to not question behaviors • others? • interpreters • protection legislation - dating violence • fairness ordinances • others? • affirmative action • ADA • Fairness ordinances • engaging in practices to ensure diversity in hiring • EITC • Reproductive health decisions • others?

ANITA GREEN How are the presumptions of innocence, worthiness, competence undermined for Anita Green? By individuals, by institutions or by “culture”?

CONTACT INFORMATION ISELA ARRAS Director of Training KY Coalition Against Domestic Violence 111 Darby Shire Circle Frankfort, KY 40601 T: (502) 209 -5382 iarras@kcadv. org