Explain the importance of addressing the counseling needs of older people from different cultural, racial, and ethnic backgrounds. Provide examples of specific strategies that counselors can implement to meet the needs of diverse populations of older adults.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

There is a need to address the counseling needs of older people from different cultural, racial, and ethnic backgrounds. Research indicates that members of ethnic minority groups are less inclined than Whites to seek treatment and to use outpatient treatment services. There are also an insufficient number of mental health professionals from ethnic minority groups. Furthermore, language barriers exist in the profession, possibly leading to inadequate services. One possible solution is the use of language interpreters in an ethical manner. Asking family members or other acquaintances to act as interpreters increases the older person’s vulnerability, compromises his or her confidentiality, and can hinder a full and open discussion of the individual’s mental health and counseling needs. More importantly there is a need for counseling approaches that are effective for older adults from diverse backgrounds. Some strategies that counselors can implement include tailoring approaches to diverse populations of older adults by
1. recruiting, training, and employing counseling practitioners knowledgeable about the older adult population;
2. developing specialized diversity-oriented programs that include aggressive outreach efforts and encourage styles of practice best suited to the challenges of these populations;
3. training all mental health practitioners to be culturally competent by recognizing and responding to the concerns of diverse ethnic aging minorities and other special populations, including their histories, traditions, beliefs, and value systems;
4. encouraging all professional programs to include content pertaining to ethnic and cultural diversity, socioeconomic status, gender, sexual orientation, physical disability, and rural settings in their curriculum;
5. building systems that recognize, incorporate, practice, and value cultural diversity,
6. encouraging sensitivity to language assistance needs and assuring language assistance in the provision of mental health counseling services for older persons with limited English proficiency; and
7. recruiting and training an ethnically and racially diverse counselor workforce.