Cultural Sensitivity as a Professional Tool : third sector preventative mental health services for immigrant women
Amani, Maria (2022)
Amani, Maria
2022
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2022060214667
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2022060214667
Tiivistelmä
The thesis aims to discover experiences and skills set of professionals’ concerning cultural sensitivity (CS) in their work with first generation immigrant women in third sector services in Greater Helsinki region. Cultural sensitivity means applying culturally respectful interaction and interpersonal skills in one’s work as a professional. It involves the understanding of freedom to maintain one’s cultural views of the situation while being equally accepted and heard with the others present.
The thesis looked at professionals of a Finnish intercultural families’ association, Familia. Familia’s work forms part of preventative mental health services through providing clients with social networks, low threshold counseling in legal matters regarding migration, language education, and peer support. Thus, in addition to CS, current professional needs for mental health related skills and professionals’ familiarity with the Finnish service paths for mental health (MH) related needs were also examined.
The theoretical framework of the thesis was Bronfenbrenner’s Bio Ecological systems theory. The clients’ status was considered from a more holistic starting point as noted in previous studies. Bronfenbrenner’s theory provides a window for examining immigrant clients’ situation when entering mental health related services as composed of various life situations such as migration status, unemployment, and family situation that all influence the effectiveness of gained service.
In addition, the thesis reviews the social services working methods of narrative social work, active listening, and qualified empathy as methods connected to culturally sensitive interaction in client work. The study defined the current mental health needs of working age immigrant women in Finland based on previous research. Previous findings were later compared to the thesis’ research data on participants’ self-evaluation on their skills set concerning CS. The self-evaluation was based on prior experiences in CS and mental health related situations at Familia. The data collection method used was a questionnaire. The results of the data were examined based on the research questions.
All the participants considered CS a necessary tool in their work. The majority considered their current skills in CS as excellent or very good. Yet, they also viewed additional CS training as beneficial. Regarding MH, the majority had encountered clients with MH related questions or needs and they considered their MH related service provision skills as insufficient. Most participants viewed additional MH training as beneficial. This confirms that third sector professionals working with immigrant women tend to have a wide knowledge and understanding of CS but lack understanding on MH related service needs and guidance. This can be one causing factor of immigrant clients’ underrepresentation in the Finnish MH services, due to not receiving effective service guidance in the otherwise familiar service environments such as third sector organizations.
The thesis looked at professionals of a Finnish intercultural families’ association, Familia. Familia’s work forms part of preventative mental health services through providing clients with social networks, low threshold counseling in legal matters regarding migration, language education, and peer support. Thus, in addition to CS, current professional needs for mental health related skills and professionals’ familiarity with the Finnish service paths for mental health (MH) related needs were also examined.
The theoretical framework of the thesis was Bronfenbrenner’s Bio Ecological systems theory. The clients’ status was considered from a more holistic starting point as noted in previous studies. Bronfenbrenner’s theory provides a window for examining immigrant clients’ situation when entering mental health related services as composed of various life situations such as migration status, unemployment, and family situation that all influence the effectiveness of gained service.
In addition, the thesis reviews the social services working methods of narrative social work, active listening, and qualified empathy as methods connected to culturally sensitive interaction in client work. The study defined the current mental health needs of working age immigrant women in Finland based on previous research. Previous findings were later compared to the thesis’ research data on participants’ self-evaluation on their skills set concerning CS. The self-evaluation was based on prior experiences in CS and mental health related situations at Familia. The data collection method used was a questionnaire. The results of the data were examined based on the research questions.
All the participants considered CS a necessary tool in their work. The majority considered their current skills in CS as excellent or very good. Yet, they also viewed additional CS training as beneficial. Regarding MH, the majority had encountered clients with MH related questions or needs and they considered their MH related service provision skills as insufficient. Most participants viewed additional MH training as beneficial. This confirms that third sector professionals working with immigrant women tend to have a wide knowledge and understanding of CS but lack understanding on MH related service needs and guidance. This can be one causing factor of immigrant clients’ underrepresentation in the Finnish MH services, due to not receiving effective service guidance in the otherwise familiar service environments such as third sector organizations.