Abstract
Recent literature and reviews of the multicultural counseling competencies (MCC) and the multicultural and social justice counseling competencies (MCCSJ) address a noticeable disconnect between the knowledge, attitudes, and skills involved in these vital areas, and their practical application in the field. Drawing interventions from family-oriented theories, this chapter proposes some ways to address this discrepancy specifically focusing on the practical application of advocacy and social justice competencies with families that must be involved with social service systems. The chapter embraces the idea that creative strategies provide enhanced flexibility in application, thereby positioning human service professionals to meet the needs of more diverse families. By including examples using both a biological and a chosen family, this chapter explores creative ways family-oriented theories can be implemented to support advocacy and social justice efforts when working with traditionally marginalized and disadvantaged populations in their interactions with social service systems.
TopIntroduction
Human service professionals are called to serve the needs of culturally diverse and underrepresented clients, groups, and communities with multicultural and social justice counseling competence (Ratts et al., 2016). Multicultural Counseling Competencies (MCC) (Sue et al., 1992) and the subsequent Multicultural Counseling and Social Justice Competencies (MSJCC) (Ratts et al., 2016) provide guidelines and standards for human services professionals to develop cultural competency across several essential dimensions (awareness: beliefs and attitudes, knowledge, skills, and action). There is no doubt that the concepts characterized in these dimensions are fundamental for human service professionals working with diverse and underrepresented clients and client families. Though they are necessary, they are not sufficient. It is only through application, “moving at the right time, for the right purpose” that adds strength and credibility to our work with clients (Wilson et al., 2019b, p. 240). As such, application is the sincerest form of advocacy; and as Wilson and colleagues (2019b) propose, it is the only thing that will help clients.
Because not all clients’ issues are best addressed in therapy, advocacy offers an additional approach for these professionals to respond to the call for multicultural and social justice counseling competencies. Advocacy, in brief, means supporting clients so their voices are heard when addressing unjust situations in whatever institution or system they may occur (Laszloffy & Hardy, 2000), and it often involves addressing issues of social justice (Gehart & Lucas, 2007). Fittingly, then, family advocacy is meant to assist families in addressing systemic barriers that have been keeping them from being able to access wanted or necessary support services (Lee, 1998). Thus, this chapter will explore the culture-centered perspective for counselors and other human service professionals (e.g., social workers and psychologists) advocating and supporting families through the lens of family counseling theories.
Chapter Highlights
- •
A look at shifting family structures consistent with socio-dynamic developments, giving practitioners and advocates assessment and intervention skills that can foster positive change.
- •
A focus on using systems from a variety of theoretical perspectives, designed to enhance professionals’ ability to respond effectively to better support and advocate with and for marginalized populations.
- •
A focus on practical application of family-oriented strategies that can be utilized immediately with traditionally marginalized and under-represented families, especially when interfacing with these social service systems that work as counterforces and can keep the family stuck and dependent on their services.
Learning Objectives
In this chapter, the reader will learn:
- •
The major societal shifts that have contributed to a complex definition of family.
- •
The impact of community and social service systems on families’ health and functioning.
- •
How family-oriented approaches and systems-based thinking help human service professionals partner with families to holistically assess needs and opportunities for decreased marginalization and enhanced functioning.
- •
How family-oriented approaches provide an inclusive framework that can be used to support advocacy and social justice when working with diverse populations.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Joining: A specific form of working relationship connecting the therapist and family members, which communicates the therapist’s support to the family.
Exception and Significance Questions: Questions used by narrative therapists to uncover exceptions to clients’ problem-saturated stories and influence the emergence of preferred outcomes.
I-Position: The position one takes to speak about how they view the problem, without attacking or defending against, another family member; thus, maintaining a clear sense of self.
Triangulation: Triangulation refers to the expansion of a conflict-ridden, dyadic relationship in order to include a third person (child, therapist, etc.), which results either in a covering-up or a defusing of the conflict.
Chosen or Found Family: A nonbiological kinship bonds, whether legally recognized or not, deliberately chosen for the purpose of mutual support and love.
Outsider Witnesses: Individuals who are recruited to come in-person to a session or are figuratively invited to a therapy conversation to give the clients information to further explore, expand, and enrich their preferred narrative.
Family Sculpting: A diagnostic tool and therapeutic technique focused on the emotional exchange and communication dynamics within the family.
Othering: A process in which some individuals or groups are defined, attributed negative characteristics, and labeled as not fitting in within the norms of a social group.
Structural System: Formed patterns of relating within the family, which give clues as to the basic structure and organization of the system and how the system functions—comprised of multiple subsystems (e.g., spouse subsystem, parental subsystem, and sibling subsystem).
Boundaries: The demarcation of inferred patterns of behavior between individuals, family subsystems, the family, and the external environment. Boundaries may be clear, rigid, or enmeshed.