Multicultural Identities Self-Assessment: Use the Hays ADDRESSING Model Template to assess your cultural identity and analyze the implications your cultural identifications may have on your professional relationships.

Note: The assessments in this course build upon each other, so you are strongly encouraged to complete them in sequence.

In our diverse society, multicultural competency is key for any
professional in the field of psychology. It is vital to recognize that
cultural identity is multifaceted and to analyze how your own cultural
identifications and biases may impact your professional relationships.

To deepen your understanding, you are encouraged to consider the
questions below and discuss them with a fellow learner, a work
associate, an interested friend, or a member of your professional
community.

• When you see a person for the first time, do you have any
  assumptions or expectations as to how he or she may behave based on
  appearance?
• Why it is important for practitioners to be aware of their own life
  experiences, personal beliefs and attitudes, cultural values, social
  identities, privileges, biases, and prejudices?
• How can unexamined privileges, biases, and prejudices affect one’s professional work?
• What strategies can you use to ensure your biases do not impact your work relationships and decisions?
• What cultural populations might you work with that you currently have less cultural competence in?
• What guidelines for working with these populations would you consider important?
• What specific steps could you take to gain familiarity,
  understanding, and comfort with groups that you have limited experience
  working with?

• 
  Download Hays ADDRESSING Model Template [DOC] to complete your Multicultural Identities Self-Assessment.
• You will complete this template to conduct a cultural
  self-assessment that describes your identity in all elements of the Hays
  ADDRESSING model.
  • Note: Use the template provided for all work on this assessment. Do not submit a paper. Papers will not be graded.
  • For more information about the Hays ADDRESSING model, you may review the following chapter from Hays: “Looking Into the Clinician’s Mirror: Cultural Self-Assessment.”

This assessment will help you evaluate how your cultural memberships
influence your ability to work professionally with people of similar
cultural backgrounds and those with different cultural backgrounds. Many
learners find this an eye-opening experience, as they have tended to
focus on being the social minority or majority in one area in their
lives, and not considered how all of us have multifaceted
cultural identities. For this reason, all of us are likely to have
experienced being in a cultural majority in some respects and being in a
cultural minority in others. Further, it is inevitable that all
clinicians have biases in relation to cultural identities and failure to
recognize these biases creates the potential for harm. It takes more
strength to acknowledge your biases than to argue that you do not have
any.

Such acknowledgement and self-awareness is the first critical step in
developing strategies for improving your cultural competency around
each of those biases to become a more equitable and effective
practitioner. This applies to all work in psychology, not just clinical
work. In other words, developing cultural competency is important for
psychologists who consult and work with businesses (I/O psychologists);
those who work in the classroom (clinical, general, educational
psychologists); those who work with athletes (sport psychologists);
professionals who interface with the legal system (forensic
psychologists); those who treat patients, families, and groups with
mental illness (clinical psychologists); and those who conduct research
(various types of psychologists).

This assessment is based on Dr. Pamela Hays’ (2008) ADDRESSING model,
which asks clinicians to look into their own areas of cultural
influence, privilege, and potential bias. ADDRESSING stands for Age (and generational influence), Developmental and acquired Disabilities, Religion and spiritual identity, Ethnicity and racial identity, Socioeconomic status, Sexual orientation, Indigenous heritage, National origin, and Gender.
Although there are many other aspects of diversity, these are the most
common aspects in the United States. Hays’ model has been a useful
framework for educators, counselors, and psychologists to examine their
own cultural influences, potential biases, and own perspectives. They
can then develop plans for addressing how these differences might impact
their work with others.

Reference

Hays, P. A. (2008). Looking into the clinician’s mirror: Cultural self-assessment. In P. A. Hays (Ed.), Addressing cultural complexities in practice: Assessment, diagnosis, and therapy (2nd ed., pp. 41–62). American Psychological Association.

• Complete the table on the template and review your entries.
• Respond to the three questions posed in the space below the table in
  the template. There are no “right” or “wrong” responses for this
  assessment. You will be assessed on your insight and ability to
  recognize the implications of your privilege and biases when you work
  with others.

• Written communication: Should be free of errors that detract from the overall message.
• Format: Use the Hays ADDRESSING Model Template
  (linked above). Use current APA style and formatting guidelines as
  applicable to this assessment.
• Font: Arial, 12 point.

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your
proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment
criteria:

• Competency 3: Evaluate multicultural influences on ethics for psychologists.
  • Cultural Identifications: Analyze own cultural identifications and
    cultural groups that might be easy or difficult with which to work in a
    professional setting.
  • Relationships: Analyze how cultural implications may have an impact on professional relationships.
• Competency 4: Analyze multicultural issues in psychology and the importance of multicultural competency in the profession.
  • Privilege: Evaluate areas of privilege and under-privilege.
  • Biases: Analyze bias that may impact one’s work in the field of psychology.
• Competency 5: Communicate in a manner that is scholarly,
  professional, and consistent with expectations for members of the
  psychological professions.
• Communication: Write clearly, with correct spelling, grammar, syntax, and good organization, following APA guidelines.