Cultural competency and child welfare practice: issues in aboriginal child welfare

This practicum report examines the concept of cultural competency in Nezul Be Hunuyeh Child and Family Services Agency in Fort St. James. This agency serves Aboriginal people from the Nak'azdli band and Tl'azten Nation, who live on reserves around Fort St. James area. The report examines how workers approach cultural competency, the challenges they face in doing so, and how these challenges impact their use of cultural competency. The methods used to conduct this study included observation, discussion with workers and key members of the community, and consultation with my practicum supervisor. It was realized that workers use cultural competency in appropriate ways. Possible reasons to support this are the agency's clearly stated mission statement and the level of delegation the agency has achieved. The challenges faced by workers are not directly related to the worker-client relationship, but to issues arising from the meso and macro levels. These issues could begin to be addressed through a government reconciliation process with Aboriginal people. This reconciliation process would open up ways for policy changes, which will promote more culturally relevant programs and services on reserve. It is recommended that future practicum students consider practicum in a government structure or perhaps divide time between the two agencies to understand the views stemming from both structures. --P. ii.