Speaker(s):
Presentation: When assessing, preparing to treat, and making referrals for youth in mental health services, cultural aspects of their basic functioning can sometimes be overlooked. Key opportunities in building rapport, identifying and reinforcing strengths, aiding in the development of healthy long-term practices, and seeking useful resources can potentially be missed by limited acknowledgement of the impact of a youth’s cultural identity and practices. This presentation seeks to explore the importance of examining cultural aspects for clients, discuss possible pitfalls for mental health/social service professionals with regard to acknowledging aspects of young clients’ cultural experiences, discuss examples of how to address cultural issues comfortably, and discuss strategies for examining cultural aspects in mental health assessment and/or treatment.
Objectives:
- Discuss the importance of cultural competence in child-centered mental health assessment and treatment.
- Describe some of the cultural factors that may be explored in child-centered assessment and treatment.
- Discuss the impact of acknowledging cultural factors for special child populations, such as children in foster and adoptive care