Examine the population demographics in your community and state. What groups are most prevalent? What are their immigration experiences? How long have they lived in this country? Did they arrive under traumatic social or political circumstances?

Describe the systems of support in your community for individuals from: various cultural and language groups; family support groups; interpretation and translation services; health care services; social services; and educational supports and services.

Describe any experience you have had working with families and children from these cultural, ethnic, and language groups. Do you know anyone from these cultural-ethnic-linguistic groups? If you have not yet worked with families from these cultural, ethnic, and language groups, think about what types of cultural, ethnic, and language groups you may encounter in your community. In a group, discuss your experiences, if any, and future experiences you may encounter within your community.

Draw a map or make a list of contacts and services you may use to learn about the cultural practices of the cultural-ethnic-linguistic groups in your community.

Are there traditions or cultural practices commonly associated with these cultural-ethnic-linguistic groups that are “at odds” with the dominant cultural practices in your community? List the practices, and after each practice, examine what you might do to prevent a “cultural clash” in service delivery or mitigate negative effects that the families may encounter when they engage in these traditional practices.

Can you identify other ethical dilemmas that you have encountered that are related to cultural, ethnic, racial, or linguistic differences? Discuss these issues in a group, and share strategies that would be useful in mitigating or preventing clashes between families and professionals in service delivery.

What practices or strategies could you as a service provider use to help families adapt to and learn about the dominant practices of the community in which they live? Include strategies that may help families understand and benefit from health care, social services, and educational services, to name a few.

Review the cultural courtesies and customs, as well as the recommendations for intervention, presented by the authors at the end of each chapter in Section 2. Discuss these recommendations and practices in a group, and decide which recommendations are appropriate to your field of practice within your community.