Cultural Competency in Mental-Health Services
Cultural Competency in Mental-Health Services
- Jun Sung HongJun Sung HongSchool of Social Work, Wayne State University
- , and Wynne Sandra KorrWynne Sandra KorrSchool of Social Work, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Summary
Since the 1980s, cultural competency has increasingly been recognized as a salient factor in the helping process, which requires social-work professionals to effectively integrate cultural knowledge and sensitivity with skills. This entry chronicles the history of mental-health services and the development of cultural competency in social-work practice, followed by a discussion of mental-health services utilization and barriers to services among racial/ethnic minorities. Directions for enhancing cultural competency in mental-health services are also highlighted.
Subjects
- Mental and Behavioral Health
- Race, Ethnicity, and Culture