Culture+Sensitive+Assessment+Professional+Interview

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Two [|LPC]’s were consulted for this case study. Much of the information they shared was similar in nature. They agreed that if they themselves were not culturally competent to help Berice that it was ethical to better educate themselves prior to assisting Berice or refer him to another counselor or agency that is competent. **Educate Yourself **
 * When working with a client that is of another culture, religion or ethnicity that exceeds your competency it is your ethical duty to educate yourself through continuing education, peer review, peer supervision, available research materiel and direct interaction before entering into a counseling relationship with the client. If you are unable to do this, than referring them to another counselor or agency that is competent would be best.


 * Cultural Competency **
 * The agency that Jim works for may or may not a have resources properly assess and help Berice. This can be because of many factors. If the facility is in a rural area it may have few resources compared to a facility in a metropolitan area. Also, if there is a large Jamaican population close by they could be a great resource for better understanding Berice’s culture. Both LPC’s agreed that Berice is the expert of himself and his culture and therefor a good educator for Jim and Dr. Kinney.


 * Assessments **
 * The case study did provide information that Dr. Kinney used a tool that did not take Berice’s cultural attributes into consideration. This may or may not reflect Dr. Kinney’s general ability to assess Berice ethically. Jim may also address Dr. Kinney personally to see if he is culturally experienced enough to help Berice. There are many assessments available to assess a clients vocational competencies but most assessments do not take cultural attributes into consideration. However, it would be ethical to research a vocation assessment that best addresses these cultural barriers.


 * Physical Assessment **
 * Both LPC’s agreed that a [|psychiatrist] would be a better fit for evaluating Berice’s overall cognitive abilities. It was also strongly recommended that Berice’s head trauma be further examined by a [|medical doctor] for physical causes for his symptoms. For example, there is greater access to a [|Spect Scanner] in the Atlanta area that allows doctors to examine certain brain functions under a variety of situations to better evaluate ones cognitive and psychological impairments as it pertains to the brain. Berice would be a good candidate for this assessment.


 * Client Welfare **
 * What is best for the client is of the utmost importance. The counselors cultural competence, the physical and psychological assessments are all tools to help Berice find a new vocation but it they cannot do it all. Both LPC’s talked about the need to listen to Berice, to his thoughts, feelings, and actions. He has come for help and it may appear that it is only for vocational guidance. However, he is also a client that deserves complete care. Berice has a great deal of pushback when he received Dr. Kinney’s results and how being a alarm-system installer would not be a good career choice for him. This is the time were Jim needs to dig deeper into Berice’s emotions and validate his feelings. If he feels misunderstood, that needs to be discussed. What was missed, how did it affect Berice, what can Jim learn from Berice, and what can Berice take away from this event. It is ethical not to treat just the symptom, treat the whole person.