Operationalization of the Multicultural Counseling Competencies

AMCD Professional Standards and Certification Committee

Dr. Patricia Arredondo, Chair

Empowerment Workshops, Inc. Boston

Rebecca Toporek, Sherlon Brown, Janet Jones, Don C. Locke, Joe Sanchez and Holly Stadler

The multicultural competencies are designed to promote culturally effective relationships particularly in interpersonal counseling.

Through increasing awareness, counselors are better able to understand how their own personal dimensions affect their ability to perceive and understand the personal dimension of their clients.  Similarly, greater knowledge enhances the counselor’s ability to more accurately understand the various cultures or elements which make up their client’s personal dimensions.  Developing greater multicultural counseling skills allows for appropriate intervention, advocacy and an effective use of culturally appropriate models, such as the PDI model.    

The revised Multicultural Counseling Competencies and accompanying Explanatory Statements further clarify and define the three domains of awareness, knowledge and skills. 

Definitions

Multicultural Counseling-refers to preparation and practices that integrate multicultural and culture-specific awareness, knowledge and skills into counseling interactions.  The term multicultural, in context of counseling preparation and application, refers to five major cultural groups in the United States and its territories:  African/Black, Asian, Caucasian/European, Hispanic/Latino and Native American or indigenous groups who have historically resided in the Continental USA and its territories. 

Person of Color-the term used by many individuals and groups to self-define based on cultural, ethnic, and racial heritage.  This term is preferred to “minorities” in some circles. 

Multiculturalism-put the focus on ethnicity, race and culture. 

Diversity-refers to other individual, people differences including age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, physical ability or disability and other characteristics by which someone may prefer to self-define. 

Culture-patterns of learned thinking and behavior of people communicated across generations through traditions, language, and artifacts.

Points

• It can be stated that the US is a pluralistic or multicultural society and that all individuals are ethnic, racial or cultural being.
• At times race and ethnicity are used as identifiers although oftentimes the terms are interchanged with culture.
• Focusing on only one Dimension of a person’s totality, limits understanding.
• By definition and in reality everyone is a “multicultural person”. 
• The sum is not greater than the parts.
• Assess self in terms of Cross Cultural Counseling competencies either by reviewing the competencies.
• Learn a second or third language.
• Be actively involved in learning, speaking and advocating.

Personal Dimensions of Identity (PDI)

The purpose of this model is to demonstrate the complexity and holism of individuals. 

A-The A Dimension is a listing of characteristics that serve as a profile of all people.  The majority of the dimensions we are born with or into, making most “fixed” and less changeable. 

·         Age, Culture, Ethnicity, Gender, Language, Phsyical/Mental Well Being, Race, Sexual Orientation, Social Class, Attractiveness (height, weight, etc)

B- What occurs to individuals relative to their B Dimension is influenced by some of the immutable characteristics of the A Dimension and the major historical, political, sociocultural and economic legacies of the C Dimension.

·         Education Background, Geographic Location, Hobbies/Recreational, Health Care Practices/Beliefs, Religion/Spirituality, Military Experience, Relationship Status, Work Experience

C- The C Dimension grounds us in historical, political, sociocultural and economic contexts indicating that events of sociopolitical, global and environmental form have a way of impacting one’s personal culture and life experiences.  The time in which someone was born will never happen again. 

·         Historical Moments/Eras

By using the PDI model as objective criteria, counselors can more readily “see” the range of human potentiality every person possesses.

Suggested Videos

Film:  “The Color of Fear” by Lee Mun Wah

Film:  A Class Divided by PBS

Film:  True Colors---20/20 Special

Video:  The Triad Model by Paul Pederson

Film:  “El Norte”

Film:  “Stand and Deliver”

Film:  “Roots”

Film:  “Lakota Woman”

Film:  “Daughters of the Dust”