Cultural Competency Flashcards

A school social worker learns that a Southeast Asian family uses traditional healing practices alongside Western medicine for their child's health issues. The appropriate response is:

Answer: Integrate understanding of traditional healing into the overall support plan when safe

Culturally competent practice involves acknowledging and integrating traditional healing practices when they are safe and meaningful to the family.

Which term describes the stress experienced by individuals caught between their heritage culture and the dominant culture they are navigating?

Answer: Acculturative stress

Acculturative stress refers to the psychological and social difficulties that arise from the process of adapting to a new cultural environment.

When developing an IEP for a student from a culturally diverse background, the school social worker should:

Answer: Ensure cultural factors are considered in assessment and goal-setting

Cultural factors must be integrated into IEP development to ensure that goals and interventions are relevant and effective for the student.

A Black student reports experiencing microaggressions from a teacher. The school social worker's first step should be:

Answer: Listen empathetically, validate the student's experience, and assess impact on well-being

Validating the student's experience and assessing its impact are essential first steps in supporting students who report racial microaggressions.

Which of the following best defines intersectionality in the context of school social work?

Answer: The way multiple social identities interact to shape individuals' experiences of oppression and privilege

Intersectionality examines how race, gender, class, sexuality, and other identities overlap to create unique experiences of discrimination or advantage.

A school social worker is assigned to a school with a large Somali refugee student population. The best preparation involves:

Answer: Learning about Somali cultural values, refugee trauma, and community resources

Proactive cultural learning about the specific community being served is a core component of culturally competent preparation.

A student's family insists on making all academic decisions for the student without consulting the student. The school social worker should:

Answer: Understand that family decision-making may be a cultural norm and balance student voice within that context

Collectivist cultural norms often involve family-centered decision-making, and culturally competent practice involves navigating this while also supporting student development.