Discussion Response

Please respond to both classmates posts: Coursework & Source: Cultural Diversity: The Sum of Our Parts by Hilda Mwangi (2017 video, 15 minutes in length, captioned) 1. Sabrina Mangual-Harley posted: When thinking about how diversity enriches my life, what comes to mind are the clients I service while working in the field of addiction and recovery. It expands my world view and experiences because we are all human and want to be treated with respect and dignity despite our cultural differences, race, upbringing, gender, etc... I like to say I wear many hats. In this case I am made up of many puzzle pieces. I am a wife, mother, daughter sister, friend, christian, counselor/director, coworker and girl scout troop leader. As circumstances and situations change, other hats/ puzzle pieces, may be added to the list. The puzzle pieces that make me who I am help me focus on the people I come in contact with daily and how I could be of support with them in their life struggles. I come from a family that has been affected by drug use. This experience has provided a lens where I can see people beyond their circumstances and assist them with their drug use. Reflecting on my own cultural identity and influences shows me even if I don't identify with a specific background, gender, religion, I can still provide the care a person needs or requires without judgement. When providers are culturally competent it helps build a therapeutic alliance which creates trust within that client counselor relationship. It aids in the best outcome for the client. I like to remain in a place of learning. I believe there is room for growth. As our world changes, our understanding and perspective should as well. 2. Lacey Dodge posted: Diversity can enrich your life in many different ways. The first way that I can think of is that it helps us to learn about other cultures and ways of life. Not everyone comes from the same background, so being able to talk to people from other walks of life is really a great thing. It teaches us different societal norms and ways of thinking. I believe that it also opens up our minds to being more accepting of ideals that may be different from our own. I think experiencing life and learning about diversity helps people to become more well rounded individuals. It helps you to realize that it’s ok to have different values and ideals than other people and that your way might not necessarily be the only “right” way. When I think of myself I feel like there are a lot of puzzle pieces that make up who I am. Woman, Girlfriend, Farmer, Counselor, Supervisor, Dog Mom, Cat Mom, Aunt, Niece, Cousin, Daughter. These are some of the main parts of my life that make me who I am. These are things that I am proud of and would be ok with anyone knowing. I think this standard helps breaks people down into their most basic form. It makes you realize that someone that may look and act a certain way, at their core, is the same as someone else. We all have some of these things that are the same in each of us. I think that it’s also important to recognize the ones that may be different too though, because many times, those are the ones that truly set you apart from someone else. It’s hard for me to have any kind of comment on what may be gained by having a provider that is culturally competent because I am from the same background as most of the doctors that I have always had. However, I believe that it is important for a provider to be culturally competent because it helps the patient feel comfortable and like their concerns are going to be taken seriously. Also, different cultures have different ideals when it comes to medical care and it’s important to know what is and isn’t ok when it comes to that person’s culture because you don’t want to end up doing something that they are not ok with.