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- QUESTION
Describe the issue and region or area you selected. Include the population of clients and be sure to use official resources when obtaining this demographic information.
Explain challenges for human services professionals practicing in the region or area you selected. Include key barriers to providing services (e.g., language, accessibility, social stigma).
Explain a strategy or process to assist with reducing prejudice, stereotyping, or bias in accessing services related to the issue you selected. Include how you, as the human services professional, might implement this strategy or process in the region or area you selected.
| Subject | Nursing | Pages | 5 | Style | APA |
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Answer
Working with Diverse Population in the US
Underutilization of mental health services by Latinos across the US has remained a leading concern in human services practice. The concern has progressively become important as Latinos’ population across the US continues to grow and the evidence that many Latinos are not receiving appropriate mental health services continues to pile. As such, this paper describes underutilization of mental health services by Latinos across the US, as well as, the challenges that human services professionals face while working with this population. It also examines strategy to help minimize prejudice, bias and stereotyping in accessing mental health services.
Description of the Issue and the Area Chosen
Most Latinos living in the US only seek mental health services when depicting severe symptoms. Kouyoumdjian, Zamboanga and Hansen (2003) noted that various cultural and socioeconomic factors put Latinos at a higher risk of developing mental health problems and that many Latinos urgently need quality health services. Lack of competent professionals also makes Latinos to underutilize mental health services. Thus, miscommunication between mental health provider and the client leads to misdiagnosis, misunderstanding linked to treatment alternatives and wrong prescription of medications. Mistrust of health care system also contributes to underutilization of mental health services by the Latinos. Most Latino patients often believe that a mental health providers judge them mistakenly. This lowers their possibility of seeking quality mental health services and treatments.
For the last two decades, the US has witnessed unprecedented growth in Latinos population. Furman et al. (2009) reported that the population of the Latinos between the years 1990 and 2000 grew by 57.9%, while the growth of the total US population during that period was 13.2%. Similarly, a survey conducted in 1996 indicated that Latinos constituted 10% of the US population and 39% of the total ethnic population in the US, making them one of the largest minority groups in the country (Furman et al., 2009). Similarly, by the year 2000, Latinos constituted 12.5% of the US population. Currently, Latinos is the largest ethnic minority group in the US and constitutes 15% of the American population. It is predicated that in the year 2050, Latinos will be constitute 25% of the US population and relatively 50% higher of the ethnic minority population (Furman et al., 2009). Due to the stated unprecedented growth of the population of Latinos in the US, improving the mental health care access is critical because it ensures that such a population receives the mental health services they require.
Challenges Faced By Human Services Professionals
Language proficiency presents myriad of challenges to human services professionals who work with Lations in the US. Language barrier lowers awareness of human services professionals of the existing mental health challenges within Latinos communities, thus making it challenging to understand specific people who require mental health services. Similarly, although some human services professionals may be aware of the mental health services that Latinos require, they have insufficient resources to access such resources. Brown (2008) noted that language barrier makes it difficult for human service professionals to use public transport and understand the paperwork needed at mental health facilities. Certain Latinos might feel uncomfortable due to their unfamiliarity with the processes that healthcare professionals use to request services and might be stunned by high level of paperwork that they are required to compete. Moreover, given that communication is critical to mental health services, language barriers inhibit the ability of human service professionals to communicate with monolingual Latinos, a situation that could lead to wrong diagnosis and treatment. Essentially, forming therapeutic relationships with patients who have difficulty in speaking other languages is a challenge to the human services professionals as these clients only speak a single language within a formal setting (Reid Mandell & Schram, 2020). Consequently, most Latinos seeking mental health services may enter therapy with the view of being discriminated, making it difficult for human services professionals achieve the appropriate mental health services they require.
A Strategy to Reduce Prejudice, Stereotyping, or Bias in Accessing Services
Human services practice with Latinos requires sound examination of the self and understanding of how human services professionals’ worldviews and status influence the mental health conditions of Latinos. As such, human services professionals should be aware of their prejudices and biases and how their worldview influences their view of a patient. In particular, in case the professional holds beliefs that value individualism, they should critically evaluate how to deal with a patient that has a collectivist worldview. The self-awareness of human services professionals entails the development of knowledge concerning cultural heritage and possible impacts of cultural and racial history and backgrounds on work with patients (Kane, 2008). Similarly, human services professionals should understand how classism and social class affect the direction of the therapy. Understanding personal biases and perspectives, as well as, accepting that they have biases can improve the effectiveness of human services professionals in working with Lations or patients from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.
Similarly, increasing awareness among human services professionals regarding Latino culture and ways of offering better mental health services to Latinos may assist reduce errors in diagnosis, assessment, as well as, treatment of Latino clients suffering from mental health conditions. Human services professionals must be culturally competent since cultural issues are critical in treating patients especially Latinos. Besides being competent in multicultural issues, human services professionals should exercise caution and refrain from stereotyping their patients. In particular, they should regularly view their patients as unique persons. As a human service professional, I would implement these strategies by organizing training programs to promote experiences to help human services professionals gain knowledge about assessment techniques and intervention methods that are culturally sensitive to different ethnic groups.
In conclusion, Latino population is considered the largest minority group in the US. As such, human services professionals should understand ways of serving members of this population who are reluctant to seek mental health services. These professionals face the problem of language barrier, prejudice, and biasness while working with this population. As such, they should be aware of the Latino culture so that they can help clients suffering from mental health conditions.
References
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Brown, R. K. (2008). Racial/ethnic differences in religious congregation-based social service delivery efforts. J. Soc. & Soc. Welfare, 35, 95. Furman, R., Negi, N. J., Iwamoto, D. K., Rowan, D., Shukraft, A., & Gragg, J. (2009). Social work practice with Latinos: Key issues for social workers. Social Work, 54(2), 167-174. Kane, M. N. (2008). How are sexual behaviors of older women and older men perceived by human service students? Social Work Education, 27(7), 723–743. Kouyoumdjian, H., Zamboanga, B. L., & Hansen, D. J. (2003). Barriers to community mental health services for Latinos: Treatment considerations. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10(4), 394-422. Painter, K., & Scannapieco, M. (2009). Part II: Multisystemic therapy: Addressing racial disparity and its effectiveness with families from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. Journal of Family Social Work, 12(3), 197–210. Reid Mandell, B., & Schram, B. (2020). An introduction to human services: Policy and practice (9th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education.
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