Health and Social Work
Volume 39, Issue 2, 2014, Pages e10-e20

Social workers as "cultural brokers" in providing culturally sensitive care to immigrant families raising a child with a physical disability (Article)

Lindsay S.* , Tétrault S. , Desmaris C. , King G. , Piérart G.
  • a Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, 150 Kilgour Road, Toronto, ON M4G 1R8, Canada
  • b Department of Rehabilitation, University of Laval, Quebec City, Canada
  • c Department of Rehabilitation, University of Laval, Quebec City, Canada
  • d Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, 150 Kilgour Road, Toronto, ON M4G 1R8, Canada
  • e Haute École Fribourgeoise de Travail Social, Fribourg, Switzerland

Abstract

Although culturally sensitive care is acknowledged as the gold standard in pediatric rehabilitation, very little is known about the social worker's role in providing culturally sensitive care to immigrant families raising a child with a physical disability. This study draws on in-depth interviews with 45 clinical staff within two pediatric rehabilitation settings. Study findings, which are embedded within a cultural brokerage framework, showed that social workers' understanding of culturally sensitive care involved being aware of their biases and how their own cultural or professional orientation may influence their interaction with patients. These results also highlighted common challenges that social workers encountered in providing culturally sensitive care. These challenges included language barriers, discrepancies between clinicians' and patients' cultural orientation, gender and generational differences, lack of knowledge of resources, and difficulties building rapport and trust. Social workers sought to overcome these challenges by working as cultural brokers to link immigrant families to resources and to mediate differences between patients' and clinicians' cultural orientations. In conclusion, social workers play a critical role in providing culturally sensitive care to immigrant families raising a child with a disability. © 2014 National Association of Social Workers.

Author Keywords

Immigrant child disability rehabilitation Culturally sensitive care

Index Keywords

[No Keywords available]
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84901975289&doi=10.1093%2fhsw%2fhlu009&partnerID=40&md5=e68936423c1620d3b191af8ddbf89ac8
DOI: 10.1093/hsw/hlu009
ISSN: 03607283
Cited by: 12
Original Language: English