Four steps are critical in developing cultural competence in students: (1) a supportive training program; (2) a significant number or "critical mass" of culturally diverse students and allies; (3) opportunities to learn about diversity; and (4) development of racial identity. An appreciation of cultural diversity lies at the heart of any…

Cultural awareness enlarges the world view of traditional counseling methodologies that teach that the dominant society's values are the healthy norms to use in assessing and assisting ethnic groups. A dominant society counselor or therapist can be more effective in helping members of other groups by utilizing self-awareness and developing a…

The effective social worker or family counselor delivering health care services to the American Indian community will focus on the strengths rather than the weaknesses of the community and will recognize and use existing natural helping systems. The American Indian family network, for example, is unique in Western society and contains a variety of…

To evaluate the significance of matching Hispanic "consumers" to Hispanic "experts," a series of three studies investigated counselor preferences among lower division Hispanic and Anglo students, students' preference for counselors' directive, non-directive, or neutral communication styles, and patterns in students'…