Review Colleagues post then respond to the prompt that follows.

Posta description of the cultural factors that you might consider in providing service to the individual and/or family described in the case.

Chose case study 1: Grace is a 74-year-old divorced White female with three adult children and has been living with a same-sex partner for 30 years. Grace is in the intensive care unit following a sudden illness and is unable to consent to surgery. She has not designated her partner with medical power of attorney. Therefore, her two older children are taking over decision-making and leaving the partner out of the process. However, the youngest child supports including the partner in the decision-making process (Walden University, 2023).

Cultural factors that I consider in providing service to the individual and or family described in the case are the following. Social class, spiritual beliefs, ageism, mental ability, sexual orientation, clients' cultural backgrounds, and experiences. Following the Code of Ethics: 1.05, Cultural Competence, social workers should obtain education about demonstrating an understanding of the nature of social diversity and oppression concerning race, national origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or oppression, age, marital status, political beliefs, religion, immigration status, and mental, physical ability (National Association of Social Workers, 2021). In addition, one must address ethical dilemmas, situations where moral principles conflict, and all solutions are imperfect. In addition, recognizing people's involvement with multiple systems in a social environment, you can focus on the individual's needs, problems, and strengths and work between the microsystem and macrosystem within the social environment.

Explain the course of action a medical social worker should take to appropriately respond to the cultural factors illustrated in the case.

The course of action a medical social worker should take to appropriately respond to the cultural factors illustrated in the case is to practice cultural humility. Cultural humility offers a set of dynamic, compassionate principles to guide us in embracing opportunities to continually learn about ourselves, our clients, and the social systems around us; to maintain a willingness to be open and teachable; to allow ourselves to be transformed by our relationships in ways we cannot foresee (Gottlieb, 2021).In addition, they also understand the broad scope of diversity within their field. Client diversity is expressed in many ways, including race, ethnicity, socioeconomic class, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, gender identity, religion, age, health and family status, and cognitive and physical ability (National Association of Social Workers, 2016).

Moreover, look into interdisciplinary collaboration, which is essential, specifically in the client's well-being. If the disagreement cannot be resolved, then a social worker should pursue other avenues to address any concerns regarding the client. According to the NASW Code of Ethics (2021), social workers should keep themselves informed about colleagues' areas of abilities and competencies. Seeking consultation demonstrates the knowledge, and you can gain more insight into the case. In addition, self-determination is also essential given that the client's sudden illness has landed her in the intensive care unit, and her mental state is not how it used to be, opposing serious or foreseeable imminent risk to themselves if the family does not choose wisely. As a social worker, it is their ethical responsibility to apply informed judgment and seek to resolve conflicts between client interest and the broader society's interest in a socially responsible manner consistent with the values, ethical principles, and ethical standards of the profession (National Association of Social Workers, 2021). Lastly, paying careful attention to religion, belief, and spirituality and involving service users as experts in their beliefs. Understanding the individual's religiosity or spirituality may provide the social worker with further information about engagement and mutual decision-making (Gehlert & Browne, 2019).

References

Gehlert, S., & Browne, T. (2019). Handbook of health social work. Wiley. (pp. 279-301)

Gottlieb, M. (2021).The case for a cultural humility framework in social work practice.Journal of Ethnic & Cultural Diversity in Social Work: Innovation in Theory, Research & Practice, 30(6), 463-481. https://doi.org/10.1080/15313204.2020.1753615Links to an external site.

National Association of Social Workers. (2021).Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers.https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-EnglishLinks to an external site.

National Association of Social Workers. (2016).NASW standards for social work practice in health care settings.https://www.socialworkers.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=fFnsRHX-4HE%3D&portalid=0Links to an external site.

Walden University, LLC. (2023).Case studies. [Interactive media]. Walden University Canvas. https://waldenu.instructure.com

Respond to at least two colleagues who chose a different case than you did:

• Explain two cultural factors that might challenge you when working with the patient your colleague selected.
• Explain measures you might consider to enhance your cultural competence and/or cultural humility.