MCCCD Program Description

Multicultural Approaches to Behavioral Health Care

Course: BHS385

First Term: 2023 Fall

Lecture 3.0 Credit(s) 3.0 Period(s) 3.0 Load
Subject Type: Academic
Load Formula: S- Standard

Description: Advanced application of multicultural competencies, focusing on necessary awareness, knowledge, and skills needed in behavioral health settings. Examination of the dimensions of personal identities and intersectionality in the conceptualization, planning, and implementation of interventions in human services fields.

MCCCD Official Course Competencies
1. Examine theoretical frameworks in multicultural counseling. (I, II) 2. Evaluate theories within the behavioral health framework from a multicultural perspective. (I, II) 3. Develop self-awareness and cultural humility to improve standard of care as related to the helping relationship. (I, III, IV, V, VI) 4. Evaluate dimensions of identity and intersectionality as related to individuals from diverse populations. (I, III, IV, V, VII) 5. Demonstrate culturally informed oral and written communication skills for use in behavioral health care settings. (I, VI) 6. Analyze the impact of stereotypes and cultural biases on the delivery of behavioral health care. (I-VII) 7. Deconstruct the roles of culture, healing, and professional helpers in the therapeutic process of change across diverse groups. (I-VII) 8. Apply ethical and legal considerations in multicultural counseling settings. (III-VII)
MCCCD Official Course Competencies must be coordinated with the content outline so that each major point in the outline serves one or more competencies. MCCCD faculty retains authority in determining the pedagogical approach, methodology, content sequencing, and assessment metrics for student work. Please see individual course syllabi for additional information, including specific course requirements.

MCCCD Official Course Outline
I. Dimensions of identity A. Definitions 1. Personal identities 2. Intersectionality 3. Power, privilege, and oppression 4. Marginalization and empowerment 5. Cultural humility 6. Cultural competence 7. Social justice and advocacy B. Dimensional frameworks 1. Dimensions of Personal Identity 2. Tripartite development model of personal identity 3. Age, Developmental and acquired Disabilities, Religion, Ethnicity, Socioeconomic status, Sexual orientation, Indigenous heritage, National origin, and Gender (ADDRESSING) framework II. Theoretical frameworks A. Social constructionist frameworks 1. Feminist therapy 2. Multicultural counseling theory 3. Liberation psychology 4. Emerging models B. Counseling theory critiques 1. Deficit models vs. wellness/empowerment approaches 2. Power dynamics in therapeutic relationships 3. Individual, group, or societal/systems level intervention III. Developing a multicultural perspective A. Professional multicultural competencies 1. American Counseling Association (ACA) 2. American Psychological Association (APA) 3. National Association of Social Workers (NASW) B. Increasing self-awareness 1. Personal identities 2. Cultural lenses and biases 3. Blind spots C. Increasing knowledge 1. Challenging monolithic conceptualizations within identity groups 2. Exploration of intersecting identities 3. Ongoing personal and professional development D. Increasing skills 1. Interpersonal effectiveness with diverse populations 2. Culturally informed assessment and interventions 3. Empirically supported interventions IV. Barriers to effective behavioral health care A. Stigma 1. Cultural attributions towards illness, healing, and external help-seeking 2. Gender stereotypes 3. Racial/ethnic stereotypes B. Access 1. Provider availability 2. Financial cost 3. Transportation/mobility 4. Technology 5. Language 6. Healthcare inequities V. Therapeutic relationship roles A. Cultural attributions towards healing and healers/helpers 1. Cultural beliefs around causes/manifestation of identified problem 2. Cultural beliefs around acceptance, optimization, or ‘cure’ of presenting issues 3. Expertise, attractiveness, and trustworthiness 4. In-group/out-group norms and beliefs 5. Ethical considerations around multiple relationships B. Recognizing all helping relationships as inherently multicultural 1. Issues with overidentification with similarities 2. Issues with pathologizing differences 3. Navigating microaggressions C. Roles of professional helpers 1. Expert guide vs. collaborative partner 2. Consultation with collateral helpers and/or cultural leaders 3. Social justice advocate (with vs. on behalf of others) D. Evidence based practice 1. Adding individual and cultural context to empirically supported treatments 2. Use of culturally appropriate assessments or instruments VI. Culturally informed communication skills A. APA inclusive language guidelines B. APA principles for reducing bias in written language C. Respecting preferred names, forms of address, and identities D. Respecting sensitivity of specific demographic information in recordkeeping VII. Legal and ethical considerations A. Legal considerations 1. Licensure/certification requirements 2. Jurisdiction requirements a. telepractice b. sovereign nation laws 3. Cultural competency and diversity continuing education requirements B. Ethical considerations 1. Recognizing limitations to one’s cultural and/or language competency 2. Evaluating appropriate referrals for services 3. Navigating multiple relationships within small communities 4. Client-appropriate language for informed consent 5. Confidentiality

MCCCD Governing Board Approval Date: August 23, 2022

All information published is subject to change without notice. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information presented, but based on the dynamic nature of the curricular process, course and program information is subject to change in order to reflect the most current information available.