Research Paper on Multicultural Assessment and Intervention Plan

Introduction

Today, due to consistent and relentless modernization propelled by constant proliferation of urban centers and advancement in professionalism, many cultures have tremendously diversified. Proper service provision in a cross-cultural environment requires profound cultural competence. Professionalism implies the prowess or the state of having the appropriate background and education for a particular professional field (Cournoyer, 2016). Furthermore, professionalism attributes to official and courteous self-presentation (moral, values and ethics) as well as proper conduct and attitude of an individual or an organization. Various professions especially social work is marked with a plethora of ethical dilemmas articulated to the breach of professional codes and ethics as well as personal morals and values, which subject the patients to various health disparities (Doel & Nelson, 2016). Therefore, this paper underscores an in-depth assessment and discussion on the diversity, ethical dilemmas, as well as proper intervention plan of health disparities in Social Work practice in the American population.

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Vignette Description and Social History

In contemporary modern society, various social and economic injustices in this case health disparity have continued to intensify despite the concerted efforts from groups and individual form political and religious realms. Studies reveal that the persistent of this matter is sustained by cultural diversity across the globe. As a result, most educational, health, legal, political, and religious inequalities have engrossed American society (Thyer, 2010).

History records that in the professional world, social dilemmas and injustices have persisted among the African American community since the time of "Jim Crow" and reconstruction era. Consequently, the various disparities, segregations, and discrimination in the professional world are perpetuated by the stereotypical viewpoints and the white superiority (In Ramanathan, 2016).

According to the theory of stereotype threat, a person subjected to an adverse stereotype may underperform in the domain of the stereotype threat especially if the domain is an essential component of their society. In occupational duties, research has revealed that stereotype threats account for ethnic/racial performance discrepancies in IQ testing among groups of people who would be expected to perform the same (Reamer, 2013).

On the other hand patients under the same condition equally, suffer but on a different note. In respect to the disease incidence as well as prevalence, the old black persons in the U.S could experience the extensive burden of diseases. They have a higher risk for contacting various health diseases such as hypertension and mental illnesses, more so those that are concomitant with the low income, abandoning health behaviors, stress, and depression, and living in stressful life condition plus lack of access to the primary health care.

Similarly, health social workers encounter ethical dilemmas routinely in their daily professional practice because of the issues of health, gender, race, and culture disparities. The challenges make the practice cumbersome and tiresome, thus it is imperative for the social care workers to develop professional oriented competencies to make proper ethical decisions. Due to the above reason, social work education requires that all the social work students learn the application of social work ethical principles infused in the programs (Dolgoff, 2011).

Diversity and Difference in Practice

The ubiquitous existence of different cultural beliefs among the black population in the U.S has exacerbated the severity of various health disparities, most especially high blood pressure, and mental illnesses in the today society. However, enhancements in the economic and social conditions, as well as the physical surrounding, make considerable contributions to acute health disparities. Health social service and proper care plan management mainstreaming cultural competence into health practice have lessened the inequalities. The majority across the world identify themselves with their social group based on their cultural affiliations (Thyer, 2010). Thus, various racial, as well as ethnic groups, in this case, the older black people respond differently to the care and treatment of various health disparities merely because of their behaviors and health beliefs. The cultural dimensions influence access or compliance with health services.

In addition to discriminatory treatments as well segregation of people and facilities between the whites and the African Americans in the U.S various cultural based behaviors and beliefs exacerbates health disparities making the work of social professionals cumbersome. Notably, old African Americans link good health with either success or good luck. They believe that illness and diseases are undesirable and are because of bad luck, poverty, unemployment, chance, domestic turmoil, or fate (Johns, 2016). Old black people always turn to the physician only after they have attempts all the home remedies and have failed. They also believe that nurses and physicians are supposed to recognize their traditional medical practices.

African Americans mostly consider themselves spiritual with God being their supreme healer. Their religious beliefs always direct them as they cope with diseases and illness until the end of their lives and they consider that as their source of comfort rather than going to seek medical services at the health centers.

Ethical Dilemma and Competency Standards

Primarily, ethical dilemma also known as an ethical paradox is a decision making menace between two moral imperatives neither of which is unambiguously referable or acceptable. Three conditions are critical and must be presented for a situation to be considered an ethical dilemma. Firstly, an individual must be faced with the task of making a decision to determine the best course of action. Secondly, the agent has a variety of course of action to choose from and thirdly no matter what course of action the agent chooses some ethical principle is compromised (Dolgoff, 2011).

In an understanding the ethical dilemma, one has to make distinctions between values, ethics, morals, policies, and laws. Ethics are standards used by members of a group or profession, in this case, social work to determine the right course of action to take when confronted with an ethical situation. Morals, on the other hand, describe the behavioral code of conduct to which one or a particular group ascribes. Morals are used to strengthen, negotiate, and to support relationships between groups and individuals. Values describe ideas that people prize or value. One is said to value something when he or she holds that thing dear and feel it worth, as value is always associated with a feeling or affective component. The social worker is obliged to appreciate these features for effective service to clients and the portrayal of high professional competency (Dolgoff, 2011).

In day-to-day routine professional practice, social workers encounter stringent ethical cases that require high-level professional competence. For instance, in the case where a rural social health worker with limited mental health care services is consulted on a client suffering from agoraphobia, which is anxiety, that entails fear of public and open spaces. In as much as the case is outside the general competence of the health practitioner other additional parameters such as the limited options of treatments plus the discomfort the customer is experiencing makes the matter so intricate. Consequently, this would imply that the client might not receive treatment or any form of service from the social worker due to lack of competence.

Denying attendance to a patient is against the social workers' commitment and obligation to promote the well-being of clients, which is a violation of the standard guiding of the social work profession. For the above reasons, the matter is considered a pure ethical dilemma since two ethical standards are conflicting. The scenario can be resolved by considering professional ethical standards which posit that social work professional should only accept a job on the basis of existing competence or with an aim to acquire competence. Nonetheless, the social worker can offer to accept the job, elaborate the limits of his or her prowess or expertise to the client, and seek further supervisions or training in the area in question (Parker & Bradley, 2010).

Law and Policy Practice

Notably, policies and laws also constitute a great significance in the field of health social work. Moreover, the policies and law are always involved in cases that require high standard professional competence in other words more complex cases. It is imperative to note that in this case, the social worker operates with preset rules and regulations that often require that and oblige the professionals to take a given course of action (Johns, 2016).

According to NASW, standard professional codes of ethics appreciate the fact that legal matters may require social care professionals to provide confidential information. For instance, in cases involving child abuse, the extent of confidentiality of matter or a case is determined by the confines of the law. In as much as the social work ethics recognize the rule of law, social work professionals are capacitated to work and change the law, which is discriminatory and unfair (Parker & Bradley, 2010). Inferably, this implies that the effects or the supremacy of agency policy are limited and that the social worker must not allow the agency policies derails or interfere with the ethical practice of the profession.

Personal Values and Professional Ethics

The understanding of the differences and distinction between professional ethics and personal values is very vital in social work practice. Many times, majority confuses or mistake conflict between personal and professional values with an ethical dilemma. The truth of the matter is professional and personal values conflict cannot be equated to ethical for a number or reason. First values have some emotional attachments or sense of feelings and are personal, thus the rational process used to solve ethical dilemma cannot be used to solve value conflicts (Milner, Myers & O'Byrne, 2015).

Accepting a job offer essentially means accepting and agreeing to comply with the ethics, values as well as the policy and standards of the profession. In various court cases in both the past and present upholds professional ethics and expects its members to adhere and respect the professional values and ethics (Dolgoff, 2011). In as much the personal values are inherent and natural the council of social work education requires the social workers to operate and manage personal values in a manner that does not interfere with the professional values and at the same time allow the professional values to guide them.

Strategies for Assessments and Intervention plans

Assessment Phase

The assessment phase of social is vital for the social worker to assist his or her clients by making rational judgments, empowerment, and ethical decision-making. In this stage, the social the social worker interview the client to identify the main cause of the problem (health disparity e.g. mental illness). During this interview, the main issue in question or problem must be prioritized to Essen the next phase, which is the implementation of the contract planning, and treatment plan phase. Another key step is the assessment step any problem identified by the social worker must have an assessment statement (Parker & Bradley, 2010).

Contract Planning

Contract planning stage...