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Bridging Cultural Divides

A diverse group of workers cooking together in a community kitchen

This article explores how cultural backgrounds influence staff understanding and responses to trauma-informed and harm reduction practices within community social service teams. Aimed at leaders, it highlights the importance and benefits of taking a culturally sensitive approach to support team learning, build trust, and strengthen the implementation of these practices.

Fostering Inclusive Practices in a Diverse Community Social Services Workforce

As a community social services team leader, you likely know firsthand the depth of diversity in both the people providing service and those receiving it. Your work has undoubtedly uncovered opportunities to deepen cultural sensitivity and understanding, and you know the importance of being able to bridge cultural divides to ensure teams are aligned on organizational goals.

Understanding different perspectives in a multicultural context is vital to ensure that avoidable misunderstandings don’t hinder the effectiveness of care and staff’s understanding of organizational policies and approaches.

Understanding the Cultural Gap

With more than 46,000 British Columbians working full or part time in the social services sector1, there is a great opportunity to learn with and from each other to better serve the diverse population of BC. Cultural norms and beliefs can influence approaches and stigma around trauma, mental health and substance use, which can lead to unconscious biases that impact people’s personal recoveries and journeys to wellness.2

As a leader, recognizing the cultural dislocation and internal conflicts some staff may experience when introduced to new ways of thinking about trauma-informed and harm reduction models can help you support staff through conversation and training. The result is opportunity to help your team see the intention behind your organization’s practices and policies.

Importance of Trauma-Informed and Harm Reduction Practices in Community Social Services

Helping your team understand the difference between trauma-informed and harm reduction practices can help reduce stigmas and support people. Both approaches are human-centred, and respect lived experience.

  • Trauma-informed practices acknowledge how personal experiences can shape behaviour and mental health, shifting the focus from “what’s wrong with you?” to “what happened to you?”.3
  • Harm reduction is a public health approach to substance use and drug policy to meet people “where they are at,” whether that is active substance use or abstinence. It aims to minimize severity of negative consequences of detrimental coping behaviours.4

It is important to help community social service staff members learn about and understand these approaches. Depending on cultural beliefs or lived experiences, they may feel conflicted or not understand the purposes of these approaches. Open dialogue can connect people to the intention and impacts of different approaches.

Ways You Can Increase Cultural Sensitivity In Your Team

  • Education – Provide opportunities for ongoing cultural competency training for everyone on the team, including yourself. Look for learning opportunities that can help deepen the knowledge and skills needed to respond to cultural differences.
  • Conversation – Open dialogue and opportunities for reflection can help staff explore the rationale of trauma-informed and harm-reduction practices in their work without judgement for their own beliefs.
  • Mentorship – Peer connections can help people understand their work better. Look for opportunities to pair culturally diverse workers with experienced mentors to deepen their shared understanding of the work.
  • Policy – Be clear on your organization’s policies and values around cultural diversity, and help staff connect to those shared goals in support of their work.

Conclusion

Our collective strength comes from our diversity. By creating teams where conversation is encouraged and learning is ongoing, you can create a work environment that is responsive and supportive of the diverse needs and lived experiences of your communities.

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