Professional Goal Statement

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One thing I learned throughout my work experience, is I am not able to save every child and adult I encounter. I have touched the lives of many children and adults who chose to drop out of school and engage in criminal activity, adults who are currently incarcerated and serving life sentences due to heinous crimes, and those who lives ended too soon due to poor choices. One of the personal qualities I possess is resiliency. I will always strive to work hard and go above and beyond to help those in need, even if they choose to decide a different outcome for their life. I strongly believe this makes me a good candidate for this program.

Why Walden?

Walden University is a great match for me to achieve my future goals because I had an amazing experience completing the Forensic Psychology Program. I want to have to the same amazing experience while attending the MS in Clinical Mental Health Program. The professors at Walden come with a lot of knowledge and challenged students to critically think and apply the techniques learned. The Walden University Alumni and advisors are very supportive and make themselves available when needed. I enjoy the online program because it is flexible and allows me to maintain a full-time job to provide for myself and my family. I enjoy interacting with others in the classroom using various types of technology such as webinars and FaceTime, which enhances the learning experience. It is ideal that the class sizes are smaller than other universities, which is better learning environment for me. Walden University allows the ability to build a great rapport with each professor when encounter to ensure our learning needs are met to our standards.

Cross Cultural Scenario

As a caseworker for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, I have worked with many families who share different cultural beliefs and family dynamics. There was a time in my casework practice I worked with a family who was from Afghanistan. At the time, they had just recently moved to the United States and were not familiar with the laws. The family spoke the language Dari, so each time I met with the family, I had to bring an interpreter with me due to the language barrier. During home visits, I had to remove my shoes in their home. It was a form of disrespect to refuse food or something to drink if offered. The father worked to provide for his family, and the mother was to care for the home and the children. Working with this family was challenging as there was domestic violence. Through research, I learned that in Afghanistan there are no laws that prohibit domestic violence. The father of this family had extreme difficulty understanding the law when it came to domestic violence. During the case, he was arrested due to beating his wife. For the safety of the mother and their children, they were taken to a battered women’s shelter. The family at this point were taken out their comfort zone, which resulted in an adjustment disorder. The family ate certain foods, one of which was Kosher, which the shelter did not provide. The mother did not understand why she and her children had to be there. She did not want to lose her husband and began to make excuses for his behavior and take the blame by stating she started the argument.

Being culturally sensitive is imperative because it allows the opportunity to learn more about how the family functions, and what steps need to be taken to best meet their needs. It also allows the opportunity to learn what is unique to the individual or family. In the case example above, more consideration could have been taking in regards to the culture of this family. There was family support within the same apartment complex that knew this family very well and could have stepped in and assisted with ensuring the family followed the laws. Having a family member move in with this family temporarily could have been more feasible than to take the mother and her children away from their environment, and placing them in a facility that could not meet their cultural needs. Ignoring the culture of individuals and families can have an effect on how their needs will be met and how the communication will be.

Self-reflection is critical and it is important to remove biases when working with others who share different cultural beliefs than you do. Every culture is different and it is important to conduct research if there is uncertainty about a specific culture you are working with. It is important to consult with other professionals who have more knowledge in the culture, and to be sure to refer the client to a clinician that can best meet their needs if applicable.

Reference

Roberts, A. R. (2008). Correctional counseling and treatment: evidence-based perspectives. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall