Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

Doctor of Social Work (DSW)

School

Social Work

Advisor

Elizabeth Walker

Abstract

Children of families living in poverty are at a higher risk of being victims of child maltreatment than children of families not living in poverty. Many families involved in the child welfare system live in poverty and have low socioeconomic status. The National Association of Social Workers requires all social workers to have a level of cultural awareness, knowledge, and skill to engage clients from diverse cultures. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore child welfare workers’ understanding of cultural competence and their implementation of culturally sensitive practices as they engage clients living in poverty. Bacote’s cultural competence practice model was the conceptual framework for the study. Data were collected from in-depth interviews with eight child welfare workers with at least 2 years of field experience. Findings from coding and thematic analysis indicated that participants identified cultural competence as a continuous learning process that involves awareness of cultural differences that requires that the worker to keep an open mind and remain sensitive and respectful while providing services to clients. Participants implemented culturally sensitive interventions with their clients who live in poverty by connecting the families to resources, meeting them where they are at in their current life situation, and offering ongoing support during the client’s involvement with the child welfare system. Participants reported that they increased their cultural knowledge and awareness while working with families, during mentoring interactions with other caseworkers, and within the course of personal life experiences. Findings may be used for positive social change through ongoing work practices with families living in poverty to ensure culturally sensitive service interventions.

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