HSM476-1 - Module 8 Portfolio Project.docx

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Colorado State University, Global Campus *

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Sociology

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Apr 3, 2024

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1 Research Project: Study of Culturally Relevant Approaches Name HSM476-1 - Seminar in Human Services CSU-Global Teacher’s Name

2 Introduction When conducting research, we want to make sure we ask the questions we need to. In social work/ human services there are many things that go into the job itself, but also into research to better understand the needs of the community. Some of us who enter the field have been able to receive training in regard to cultural competency. I currently work in mental health and speak with providers daily, and we are able to see on their profile if they are trained in cultural competency or not. Not all of them are, but we also know that maybe they are aware but just do not want to take the training due to getting close to retirement. Scholars in cultural psychology underline culture’s implicitness within the self that cultural values, beliefs, and meanings are inherent in our feelings, behaviors, and thoughts. Therefore, it is impossible to claim that therapists can be aware of and put aside their own culturally embedded biases and values Lee &Horvath, (2014). I cannot say I completely agree with this. Yes, we have our own beliefs, but I do not think it will always interfere with a client and the assistance we can provide. Personal story I always knew addiction was something that hit home for me. I grew up without my dad from the age of seven because he was an alcoholic. It was hard and traumatic to go through some of the things I saw when I was younger. I remember coming home from school when I was six years old, and he was passed out drunk in his own vomit. I attempted to pick him up but I was not strong enough, and ending up calling my grandparents because I was scared and was not sure what to do. I watched him fall apart and it was hard to understand at such a youthful age.

3 Growing up I always wondered if he was still alive or if he was dead somewhere. It was a harsh reality for me. Over the years, I learned I deserved better than what I had for a mom or dad. I started researching more about mental health and how it can be related to addiction. It was interesting to me and when I decided I wanted to go back to school I wanted to do something that would be able to help those who are struggling with mental health and addiction. With healthcare administration and management, it would give me the opportunity to work in rehabilitation facilities, but then I watched a Netflix show called, “Trials of Gabriel Fernandez.” The next day I called my advisor and changed my major to human services, because this field is rewarding, but I can also help families facing issues similar to his. Addiction When researching a topic, I was stuck on focusing on the BIPOC community or the addiction community. With my passion and goal to involve addiction I decided to do a bit of both. Addiction and race, but I also know culture is not just race, it can be social status, race, environment, and income status. I believe learning more through my interview with Laura Garrett really helped me understand the process and the affects addiction has on someone no matter the color of their skin. Addiction is hard in itself and struggling to detox or become sober is even more difficult. This is why I believe those who are suffering and really want help should be given the option to do so. Detoxing alone is rough because you feel so many different things and you just want it to

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4 end in general. With assistance from a LAC, or a CAC (CAS/CAT now) it can become easier for them to understand they are not alone. Interview Recap When I spoke with Laura regarding addiction and how she got involved in the field it opened my eyes to how many people suffer in silence. I learned addiction requires a lot of research and some personal experience. For me, I suffered from an addiction to pain medication because I was grieving, and I did not know how to process it. With the questions I asked Laura, they were all important questions and relevant to the topic. This is why I included the interview completely from our previous assignment. Interview – career path I asked what made you choose counseling for a career? Laura stated, “I have always known since I was a child that I wanted to help people. I am proficient at problem solving, listening and possess strong analytical skills. When I was younger I thought I would like to work with children but as I got older I found adults to be a better match. Being empathic, people would just come to me with their problems, and I was intuitively able to help them. Counseling is a very satisfying career; I have been in it for 30 years and have enjoyed the diverse group that I have had the privilege to help and work with.” I wanted to know what population she worked with when she first became a counselor and CAC III. She stated that she always worked with chronically mentally ill clients who suffered from bipolar, schizophrenia, co-occurring disorders, etc., She then worked with domestic violent and DUI offenders. For the majority of her career she worked with drug

5 dependent, adult male felony offenders. This is what interested me. I wanted to go into addiction to help those who struggle. Personal experience I decided to ask, once you completed your degree, what was your first job? My first job after my master’s program was working for Island Grove in the Women's program. I ran domestic violent groups for the victims of domestic violence as well as relapse prevention groups. Laura knew she wanted to help someone whether it was through addiction or mental health. There have also been studies showing that addiction and mental illness is connected, which I agree to a point. I do not believe every person with depression is an addict, but I do know from personal experience depression did feed into my own addiction. I broke my ankle in 2014 and required surgery and received pain medication to manage the pain. Well, at that same time I lost my grandpa who was the one who raised me. It triggered me to take more than recommended because I was so broken from his death I just wanted to sleep the pain away. It was rough when I ran out of the medication and had to experience withdrawal from it. Which is almost as painful as unmedicated childbirth. I thankfully never looked for other options or harder drugs to help. Why addiction Each person chooses a career they believe they are meant to have. For myself I know I am able to use my experience to help others. I wanted to know what made Laura choose to help with fighting addiction. Honestly, her answer was really surprising to me. She stated the following answer: I actually "fell" into the career, as I was encouraged to get my CACIII, which is now known as CAS (Certified Addiction Specialist.) I am really good at working with the substance

6 abusing population as I don't address their addiction, I see that as a symptom of something greater such as past trauma, pain, anger, loneliness. I get to the core of why people use, and we address those issues and then help them to develop healthy coping strategies to manage them. I believe those who help others with addiction all have a story as to why, but in order to assist there is specific training and classes that are needed. I asked Laura, what training or classes do you remember taking to become a CAC III? She has been in the field for so long the training has changed over time. She does remember having to complete the pharmacology courses that were required after she became certified (Addiction-Counselors.com, 2021). I am aware of the training and because of the various levels there are I want to complete my degree before I attempt to become certified myself. Culture I wanted to give a background about Laura and why she chose mental health and addiction. I also asked, what cultures have you seen/ worked with throughout the years? She answered with the following, “I have worked with a truly diverse population over the past 30 years. Racial, there is a lot of racial diversity amongst the offender population, I have worked with disadvantaged homemakers, Individuals on Medicaid, and individuals from other countries, Korea, Iraq, Africa, India, China. Learning about other cultures and meeting people where they are within their culture has been the most educational and rewarding experience of my career. It is not about acculturation but understanding how each other's values are both similar and different and respecting these differences.” I believe any person that is in the mental health field should be aware of other cultures, and what it means to the clients they are helping. For me, culture is part of someone’s story. How they got

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7 where they are, or who they have become. I also wanted to know the diversity of the clients with whom she has worked. did you work with one race more often than the other? Living in Colorado, especially Fort Collins, diversity is lacking so the majority of my clients have been Caucasian. While I was in Greeley I worked with many Hispanics. I will say Fort Collins and Loveland are very white, there is not much diversity, but it is getting better Client’s reasons Have your clients ever given a reason for doing drugs? If yes, what was the answer given most? (Family, peer pressure, boredom). Laura probably gave the best answer. She stated, “There have been a multitude of reasons why my clients use it. Mostly to escape painful memories or feelings. Some just fell into it via experimentation. They like the effects of numbing out. Many have stated they use it out of boredom, to fit in, to manage anxiety, especially social anxiety. Many also use it because they grew up in a family who abused drugs and alcohol.” I know when I went through it I did it for the pay to go away, which I always knew it would not, but in that moment it was worth the try. Obstacles and seeking treatment I know race is not everything, but sadly it does contribute to the struggles of addiction and seeking treatment. When someone of another culture seeks assistance, it can be difficult to find someone who can understand and relate to specific topics of the clients. I know with mental health it is difficult to find a BIPOC provider because there just are not enough. A client would connect better with a BIPOC provider compared to someone who is white and has never been in their situation.

8 Barriers for seeking treatment can be from language and lack of interpreters, lack of culturally informed treatment models and cultural beliefs about mental health care, but it can also be client motivation for treatment, service availability, and agency policies McCleary et al., (2016). We should never turn someone away who needs help. We should always try to offer as much help as possible. Brown, et al. (2019) stated it best, the role of social support in the maintenance of recovery for individuals with addictive disorders is a relatively new area of inquiry. Research has demonstrated that social support specific to recovery increases the potential for successful abstinence from drugs and alcohol. Conclusion Research can be difficult, but if you are not familiar with the topic, research is usually the best way to learn and understand. My interview with Laura helped me so much more than I thought it would. Laura Garrett has over thirty years of experience within the mental health field including addiction. She has helped identify the culture that addiction affects and how to help those in need. Culture is not always about race as people like to think. It can be age, socioeconomic status, community, etc. I know there are types of research that applies to culture and being able to identify a problem and make the correct decisions as a whole will help me understand the various parts of culture and what is required as a human services professional.

9 References Brown, S., Victor, B. G., Dayton, C. J., & Tracy, E. M. (2019). Maternal and paternal warmth impact recovery support and social network composition for substance dependent African American and non-African American women. Addiction Research & Theory, 27 (4), 294–304. https://doi.org/10.1080/16066359.2018.1515350 Garrett, L. (2022). About Us. Bridgeways Counseling. http://www.laurabridgeways.com/about-us.html John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (2021, October 22). Colorado Addiction Counselor Requirements . Addiction-Counselors. https://www.addiction-counselors.com/states/colorado-substance-abuse-counselor/ Lee, E., & Horvath, A. O. (2014). How a Therapist Responds to Cultural Versus Noncultural Dialogue in Cross-Cultural Clinical Practice. Journal of Social Work Practice, 28( 2), 193–217. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650533.2013.821104 McCleary, J. S., Shannon, P. J., & Cook, T. L. (2016). Connecting Refugees to Substance Use Treatment: A Qualitative Study. Social Work in Public Health, 31 (1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1080/19371918.2015.1087906

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