Case Study of Multiculturism



Counseling Plan for Multiculturism

Introduction

According to a latest research the minority population of the United States will soon become the majority by the year 2050 ((Council of Economic Advisors, 1998). This increase in the number of minorities has also given rise to the diversification of language and communication by introduction of languages other than English which may result in language related issues and problems in future. The case study also revolves around the major problem of dealing with minorities in an ethical manner and taking care of their rights and treatment professionally. Berice belongs to Jamaica and moved to US for better employment but had to face problems due to a severe head injury. At vocational rehabilitation centre the counselor refers him to a psychologist who lacked experience in assessment of patients with multicultural background or diverse culture. He suggests that Berice was not medically fit to perform the job duties related to alarm installation in which he was interested. Berice was not satisfied with the decision and Jim was again confused that whether he did the right thing by referring Berice to someone who did not have an experience in dealing with the minorities. For that reason he got assistance and second opinion from experts in the field of counseling.

Discussion

Counseling Plan

As per the principles and code of conduct with regards to the assessment of patient and psychologists, it is mentioned that it is the duty and obligation of the psychologist to provide neutral and unbiased opinion and assessment for minorities. Provision of ethic and principles when dealing with people with diverse cultural background is an important part of successful assessment of the individual (APA, 2002). It is important that the psychologist and counselor respect the dignity and culture of the minorities in terms of race, language, religion etc. Berice case has to be dealt with special care as he belongs to the minority group and has Jamaican background. Following are some of the most important interpersonal and communication qualities and factors that can affect the ability of the psychologist to assess minorities.

Difference in Interpersonal and Communication Skills

Effective interpersonal and communication skills play an important part in developing rapport and better understanding of the assessment for both the participant and the assessor or psychologists (Engender Health, 2003). It is important that the psychologist understands the client's problems and issues in the light of his cultural and ethnic background, personality and other circumstances that he is facing at the moment. Clear understanding of the client's background will provide assistance and help in makings sense of client's issue and driving effective conclusions from it. On the other hand client will also be able to take active part in discussion conversation and chance of success of the treatment will be more if the communication flow is two way. Differences in interpersonal skills can father complicate the issue and problem between the psychologist and client. These difference can arise either from differences in cultural and ethnic background or ...