Counseling in a Multi-cultural School Setting

Questions to think about…

1. How do you service the needs of students from various diverse cultural backgrounds and needs?

2. What counseling techniques and resources can you utilize to help diversify your comprehensive guidance counseling program?

3. How can you implement a multi-cultural responsive counseling model in your school?

Assessing the Multi-cultural Competence of a school counselor

With the increasing number of children from diverse backgrounds entering

the U.S school system, it is imperative that school counselors

gain a working knowledge of how to best serve students with diverse needs from diverse backgrounds.

Multi-cultural counselor vs.

Multi-cultural competent counselor

MULTI-CULTURAL COUNSELING

Cross cultural counseling needs are taught

Awareness of diversity in building is recognized

Understands feelings of all students

Advocates for all students

MULTI-CULTURAL COMPETENT COUNSELOR

Knows his/her own cultural background

Recognizes personal bias and makes an effort to seek understanding of other cultures

Learns how cultures differs to advocate for the needs of students and families

Advocates for all students with understanding of cross cultural needs and identification

Areas of Multi-cultural Counseling

Counseling Consultation Understanding Racism

and Student Resistance Racial Identity

development Assessments Family Counseling Social Advocacy Community partnerships Interpersonal

Interactions

Who Am I?Culturally responsive counseling

forces us as professional counselors to examine our own cultural identities, biases, and privileges.

We may experience some discomfort realizing that our own behaviors are culturally influenced and not the only correct way to view or do things. ASCA calls this the “see and be like me” mentality.

School counselors are advocates for socially just outcomes when they actively seek to expand their cultural competence, knowledge, and skills and to develop their cultural proficiency as educational leaders.

My School Culture….Welcome to Central High School 1200 students 31 Nationalities actively

represented in the current student body

26 different languages spoken 94% of the student body is

actively on free/reduced lunch The students that apply and are

accepted to attend Central reside (according to the 2012 Census Bureau report) in the lowest socio-economic areas in Louisville

Central High School is the highest performing Title I High School in Jefferson County Public Schools

Central High School has one of the largest English as A Second Language program

What I learned….

Trauma Post Traumatic Stress

Disorder Culture Shock Legal Status Hunger/Food Social Development Educational delay Unidentified mental

illness Language barriers Socio-economic Inferiority Displacement

Cultural Clash

Developmental clash

Generational Clash

Socio-economic

clash

Implications for School Counselors

The key to becoming more effective when counseling with culturally and ethically diverse students is to continuously assess one’s multi-cultural competence

Taking a closer lookStudent Profile #1

Mwanamani is a 16 year old Somali student attending your school. She has come to you and announced that she is now a wife through an arranged marriage. As the year continues you notice that her behavior has changed as well as her enthusiasm to learn. Teachers have noticed a significant change in the classroom. It is later found that Mwanamani is in an abusive marriage. She has tried to run from home several times only to be picked up by her family and taken back to the husband.

Taking a closer lookStudent Profile #2

Mehrosh’s family has moved from Pakistan. She is quiet and very reserved. She is having a hard time adjusting to life in the United States and experiences bouts of culture shock. She often longs and verbalizes that she would be much happier in her homeland of Pakistan. The family of 5 currently lives in a small 2 bedroom apartment. Her father must work a janitorial job at night and her mother that speaks little to no English stays at home with her younger siblings. Money is tight for this family.

Resources for Counselors Community Leaders and Partners Local churches and community centers Utilize students and parents as advocates for learning

new information School district and support staff if available Local courts and legal advocates Seek knowledge! Know who your students are and

where they come from. WATCH the NEWS! It is a good source to understanding

immerging tensions and attitudes students and families may have towards you or other adults.

Train the faculty and staff-Allow them the opportunity to understand the special demographics and cultural concerns of the building.

Constantly asses your cultural competence