RUNNING HEAD: LESSONS LEARNED

Lessons Learned Nicole Powell Georgia State University

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Cultural Competency Action Plan Ethics and Values: Requires cultural and ethnic sensitivity. In the past I have had had many opportunities in which my advice was requested. Matters regarding marriage, finance, relocations, business ventures, child birth and coping with the loss of a loved one were often presented. I would recollect and offer the successful outcomes I had acquired either through personal experience or from what I felt were reliable sources. In the future I know I must understand clients personal values and allow them to create their own plan of action with my assistance. I will listen to the interpretation they offer of their social reality. I will find resources that address their unique needs to provide them a sense of comfort and ease through their transition. I will find the commonality in our life stories to create common ground. Self-Awareness: I have been a dutiful daughter, sister, wife and mother. I have overcome tremendous obstacles such as peer pressure, pregnancy, military service, divorce, depression and being a single parent. Though I feel strong and optimistic I often feel the pressure of oppression, as a female minority facing poverty, weighing heavily on my efforts. As I continue my pursuit of higher education I will also be actively seeking a deeper knowledge of my familial cultural history. I will visit Panama and Jamaica to experience some of the native culture. I will start my language acquisition with Spanish and Patwa and set no limitations. Cross Cultural Knowledge As a high school student I was enrolled in a business and technology academy with a very ethnically diverse class. I learned that there were students from Japan, Africa, Vietnam and Peru in addition to the Hispanics, Caucasians and fellow African American students. While serving in the military I acquired more culturally diverse interaction with individuals from the Philippines, Korea, and Germany, in the many travels encountered. I will obtain further research and knowledge acquisition pertaining to the vast majority of cultures through literature, internet, and immersions that foster personal accounts. I have maintained many of my culturally diverse friendships and intend to inquire their cultural perspectives in an attempt to enhance my cross cultural knowledge.

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Cross Cultural Skills I have read textbook material regarding tools and techniques used to enhance cross-cultural skills. As I continue to encounter diverse populations I will put the tools and techniques I have studied into practice. I will implement these skills whenever the opportunity presents itself such as when at work, school, or while traveling. Service delivery: In the military I delivered medical equipment to many companies, units, and facilities which required mastery of many organizational policies in multiple locations. Later I was a product specialist responsible for providing quality food products to a community. As I meet and join with other advocates of community service, an organized list of supportive organizations can be compiled for reference. Informative service solutions will be acknowledge and easily accessible. Empowerment and Advocacy I have learned to identify the attributes of strength and resilience an individual possesses. I will be working with children who have lost their loved ones and must encounter the foster care system where it is imperative to provide protection and justice. Diverse workforce I have worked in many states in many fields across the country in jobs servicing a wide array of diverse individuals as a customer service representative, solider, bartender and nurse. As I pursue my future goals I will retain and gain diverse allies to aid in enhancing my cultural knowledge. Professional Education I have received professional training as a medical logistics specialist, bartender and certified nursing assistant. In addition I have successfully received an Associates degree after pursuing higher education. I intend to continue excelling scholastically throughout my current Bachelors program with the ultimate goal of obtaining my Masters degree. Language Diversity I have learned the basics of a few diverse languages in the past but never committed to mastery. However my following semester of school I have registered for my first language diversity class in Spanish and have set the goal for mastery. This is necessary for personal cultural satisfaction and the ability to communicate more efficiently with Spanish speaking clients I am soon to assist.

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Cross-Cultural Leadership In the past if I could help interpret information for an individual I would do that to the best of my ability. As I continue to enhance my cross-cultural skills and put them in to action on a regular basis I will obtain a mastery of the techniques. I will then be able to pass on a knowledge that can penetrate individuals, organizations and establishments to create a change.

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Reference Lum, D. Culturally Competent Practice: A Framework for Understanding Diverse Groups and Justice Iissues copyright 2011
National Association of Social Workers. (n.d.). Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers. Retrieved August 11, 2008, from http://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/code/code.asp