[acb-hsp] Working with culturally and Linguistically DiversePopulations

Tue Oct 11 20:10:45 EDT 2011

Hi:kids.  Why?  Because I'm not particularly gifted in that area.  I haven't
counseled many kids.  And frankly, I don't enjoy working with kids.  So if a
parent wants me to counsel their kid, I think it would be unethical if I
didn't encourage said parent to find another more competent counselor with
experience working with kids.

All of us hav our strengths and limitations, and pretending that we don't
hurts both our clients and ourselves.

Peter 

Sounds wonderful in practice, but I'm not sure how well it works in real
life.  Sure, each of us social work types should be culturally competent,
but as a practical matter, we all have our niche.

For example, I don't work with 

-----Original Message-----
From: acb-hsp-bounces at acb.org [mailto:acb-hsp-bounces at acb.org] On Behalf Of
J.Rayl
Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2011 6:14 PM
To: Discussion list for ACB human service professionals
Subject: [acb-hsp] Working with culturally and Linguistically
DiversePopulations

Again, your professional code of ethics tells you precisely what to do and 
how to handle personal biases and values with clients.  We are not to impose

our personal views and values on our clients.  Therefore, it makes 
absolutely no difference what I, Jessie, believe about homosexuality, 
abortion, people with disabilities, radial-ethnic people different from my 
own, etc.
I am to be culturally competent and open to worldviews different from my 
own.
My level of "comfortableness" is of no concern to the client nor should it 
be.  It is Jessie's problem, and something with which Jessie needs to either

work through herself or work through with a supervisor.
There is a huge! difference between that vs. lack of training / education. 
And we, as professionals, or not to provide services for clients with whom 
we've had no training / experience unless we believe we can do so 
competently.  However! we are not just to say, well I have a problem with 
abortion or homosexuality, and therefore I"ll receive no training in it or 
I'll simply not be open to it.
I had not worked with middle eastern clients either, however I assumed I'd 
get to know / understand them in working with them --and I did.
If a person is so biased, regardless of what reason (E.g., ignorance, fear, 
religious dictates) then, again, they really need to either stick to their 
own community biases (e.g., provide only Biblical counseling), or find 
another profession.
Sorry but the professional codes are clear on this and clients have a valid 
complaint if treated otherwise.
No one forces an individual into this field after all; however, many clients

are forced into our offices.

Jessie Rayl
thedogmom63 at frontier.com
www.facebook.com/Eaglewings10
www.pathtogrowth.org

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "peter altschul" <paltschul at centurytel.net>
To: "Discussion list for ACB human service professionals" <acb-hsp at acb.org>
Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2011 6:58 PM
Subject: Re: [acb-hsp] Remediation That the Tolerant Left Won't Tolerate

Hi:

As I understand things, fundamentalist Christians believe that
only one man and one woman can be married, and that all other
relationships where sex is involved are sinful, and assisting
unmarried couples to strengthen their relationship without
getting married is encouraging sinful behavior.  And I also think
it worth noting that the author clearly states that this has
nothing to do with LGBT issues.

Personally, I think the author has a point although it does
create some discomfort; for example, should counselors
uncofortable with PWDS not be required to work with them?
Shouldn't we counselors be encouraged to step outside of our
"comfort zone?"  And where's the line between discomfort and a
lack of skill?

When I was working towards my MSW, the school faculty barely hid
their contempt when it came to religion and conservative
politics.  If we are going to encourage people to stretch, then
professors must be good role models.

Best, Peter

>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Lisa Gorden-Cushman" <crysania at sbcglobal.net
>To: "'Discussion list for ACB human service professionals'"
<acb-hsp at acb.org
>Date sent: Tue, 11 Oct 2011 10:53:26 -0700
>Subject: Re: [acb-hsp] Remediation That the Tolerant Left Won't
Tolerate

>The problem with the logic about her sexual orientation being not
important
>is that her client never had the legal right to marry, so he
could not be
>within her value system, even if he wanted to.

>Best regards,
>Lisa

>-----Original Message-----
>From: acb-hsp-bounces at acb.org [mailto:acb-hsp-bounces at acb.org] On
Behalf Of
>peter altschul
>Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2011 7:24 AM
>To: Acbhsp
>Subject: [acb-hsp] Remediation That the Tolerant Left Won't
Tolerate

>Remediation for those the tolerant left won't tolerate
>  David Cortman
>  In January 2009, Julea Ward, who is a Christian, was a graduate
>student in the counseling program at Eastern Michigan University.
>She was nearing the end of the program and had accumulated a 3.91
>GPA.  Then she was expelled.
>  Why? Well, EMU asked her to counsel a client in a manner that
>would have violated her Biblically-based faith and values.
>Following standard profession practice, she asked her supervising
>professor whether it would be okay to reassign the client to a
>different counselor.  EMU expelled her from the program for
>making this simple referral request, and because of the religious
>beliefs that motivated it.
>  Unfortunately, media reports on Ward's lawsuit often claim that
>EMU expelled her for refusing to counsel gay clients.  This is
>simply untrue.  She asked for the referral because her religious
>beliefs prevent her from providing counseling on any non-marital
>sexual relationship.  This means Ward would raise the same values
>conflict regardless of the sexual orientation of the client
>seeking such assistance.
>  Put simply, Ward would raise the same conflict and seek a
>referral regardless of whether the client was homosexual and
>seeking counseling on a non-marital sexual relationship (which is
>the context in which her referral request arose) or if the client
>was heterosexual and seeking counseling on a non-marital sexual
>relationship.  The "gay animus" angle often seen in media reports
>is dead wrong.
>  It is also important to note that referrals, including those
>based on values conflicts, are common and accepted in the
>counseling profession.  The code of ethics for the profession
>contains two provisions endorsing the practice of referring
>clients.  Ward acted consistent with these provisions, and with
>the advice of her supervising professor, by having a client
>reassigned in a situation where she believed another counselor
>would be better suited to meet his needs.  The profession is,
>after all, most concerned with serving the best interests of
>clients.  And sometimes, a client's best interests are served by
>working with a different counselor.
>  Rather than approving Ward's simple request to refer a single
>client, EMU initiated disciplinary proceedings against her.  EMU
>also informed Ward that the only way she could remain in the
>counseling program was if she agreed to undergo a "remediation"
>program aimed at changing her "belief system."
>  Unsurprisingly, Ward declined the "remediation" program.  And
>who would agree to such a thing? It is hard to imagine any
>student agreeing to change their beliefs as a condition to
>getting their degree.
>  In addition to the Orwellian "remediation" program, the
>disciplinary proceedings also involved EMU professors putting
>Ward's religious beliefs on trial.
>  For example, during Ward's final disciplinary hearing, Suzanne
>Dugger, one of EMU's counseling faculty, asked Ms.  Ward whether
>she viewed her "brand of Christianity as superior" to other
>Christians who may disagree with her.  And Perry Francis, another
>EMU faculty member, told Ward he was going to take her on a
>btheological boutb and then directly attacked her understanding
>and interpretation of scripture.
>  Throughout these things, Ward remained steadfast, refusing to
>abandon her religious convictions or violate them as a condition
>to getting her degree.
>  What is amazing about Ward's situation is EMU's harsh and
>drastic reaction to her request to refer a single client.  Rather
>than honoring Ward's simple request (which, again, was consistent
>with the professional standards regarding referral), EMU expelled
>an academically stellar student and, in the process of doing so,
>targeted and attacked the religious beliefs that motivated her
>referral request and told her she had to change them to get her
>degree.
>  Now, instead of being a Christian and a graduate student at
>EMU, Ward is but another Christian whom the tolerant left will
>not tolerate.
>  David Cortman serves as senior legal counsel with the Alliance
>Defense Fund at its Atlanta Regional Service Center in Georgia,
>where he heads litigation efforts to defend and reclaim the First
>Amendment rights of public school students across the nation.
>Cortman joined ADF in 2005, and is admitted to the bar in
>Georgia, Florida, and the District of Columbia.  He has practiced
>law since 1996 and graduated magna cum laude from the Regent
>University School of Law, where he earned his J.D.
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