This document contains two colleagues' posts in response to a discussion prompt about strategies for advocating social change through cultural competence. Peer 1 discusses two key strategies: being knowledgeable about what is being advocated for and having cross-cultural awareness, as well as being humanely oriented to build rapport. Peer 2 identifies taking an empowerment approach and cause advocacy as effective strategies, and discusses challenges administrators may face in developing cultural competence, such as taking a top-down vs. top-approach and resisting organizational change.

1. Socw 6070 wk 4 responses for discussion 2 | SOCW 6070 – Supervision,
Leadership, and Administration in Social Work Organizations | Walden
University
SOCW 6070 wk 4 responses for discussion 2Respond to at least two colleagues post
separately in at least 1 of the following ways @ posts are provided must be different
feedback for each peerState whether you think the strategies your colleague identified
would be effective in advocating for social change through cultural competence, and explain
why.Identify a strategy social work administrators might use to address one of the
challenges your colleague identified, and explain why this strategy might be
effective.Support your post with specific references to the resources. Be sure to provide full
APA citations for your references.Peer 1 postNakesha Morgan RE: Discussion 2 – Week
4There are several strategies that are important for social workers to use when advocating
for social change. When a worker is advocating for social change they must be
knowledgeable with what they are advocating for. A person must have cross cultural
awareness as they understand how everything act and interact with one another in the
cultural environment’s (Northouse, 2013). Another strategy a social worker may use to
advocate for social change is being humane orientated which help to focus on the worker
demonstrating sensitivity behaviors to other people. With displaying sensitivity it allows
clients to feel more comfortable and build a rapport as they feel the worker understand
their issues and concerns (Northouse, 2013). With utilizing these two strategies it allows
the social worker to be open-minded able to understand the social change and focus on the
views for future.There are many challenges that agencies face when it relates to developing
cultural competency within their organization. One of the biggest challenges within an
organization may face is addressing the needs of different groups or individuals and how it
will impact the agency relating to cultural competency (Chun-Chung Chow, 2008). Another
challenge the agency may face is with the staff having to change their style of work. With the
staff having to switch up to become more culturally competent they may become less
efficient with their work ethics (Chun-Chung Chow, 2008). This may cuse the agency to shift
in their work performance adapting to new change.Chun-Chung Chow, J., & Austin, M. J.
(2008). The culturally responsive social service agency: The application of an evolving
definition to a case study. Administration in Social Work, 32(4), 39–64.Northouse, P.G.
(2013). Leadership: Theory and practice (6th ed.). Los Angeles: Sage PublicationsPeer
2 angela slaughter RE: Discussion 2 – Week 4Two strategiesTwo strategies a social worker

2. may use to become an advocate for social change through cultural competence are taking an
empowerment approach to become advocates for social change. Taking an empowerment
approach, having self-awareness of my own experience of oppression, and sharing power
and responsibility with a client can empower them. Once developed with this technique,
according to Lauffer (2010), this “practice is aimed at increasing the capacity of individuals,
groups, organizations, and communities to make choices and to transform those choices
into desired actions and outcomes” (p. 256-257). Also, this method enables a social worker
in a variety of ways to address “problems of stigma, exclusion, blame, and discrimination”
(p. 257). By implementing this method, a social worker can advocate by being culturally
competent to advance clients to receive quality services to improve their lives.Another
strategy a social worker may use to become an advocate is through cultural competency is
cause advocacy. The social worker develops knowledge about social action and ways to
create social change by engaging with a variety of other players such as “environmental and
civil rights groups, faith-based organizations, neighborhood councils, unions, corporations,
foundations, and professional associations” (Lauffer, 20101116, p. 20). Taking social action
being involved in diversity as a social worker brings on social change in advocating for
policy and program changes with organizations, communities, and society She also notes
that social advocacy is both necessary and exceedingly difficult (p. 20)Two challenges
administrators may face Administration may face challenges in developing cultural
competency within their organization. One of the challenges administrators face is when
taking a top approach instead of a top-down approach. Chun-Chung Chow (2008) as cited
Fong and Gibbs (1995, that “diversity should not be managed from above but rather
fostered through the use of “core groups” of staff members who meet regularly to create
new values and assumptions about people, their behaviors, and how work gets done. The
approach to facilitates top management needs to demonstrate a commitment to change so
that staff-set agendas, continuous assessment, open discussion and the celebration of
diversity can operate amidst a multicultural workforce (p. 45-46). Another challenge an
administrator may face when an organization experience resistance to change. If the
organization’s culture unwilling to adapt, it “can threaten the core culture of an agency,
foster resistance, and compromise the effectiveness of an ethnically diverse workforce that
must conform to preexisting services, rules, and procedures that may not be appropriate for
serving diverse communities” (p. 43). Social agencies are not closed systems. When this
happens, it can cause an organization to lack support externally and cause damage to the
integration of cultural competency. However, when an organization is open, according to
Lauffer (2010) their goals are influenced by environmental expectations—especially those
expressed by outside organizations and individuals with significant access to both needed
resources and to legitimacy (p. 28). When an organization recognizes culture and provides
useful services, and develops a bond with the communities, management “share a clear
understanding of the required level of cultural skills and knowledge”
(p.44). References:Julian Chun-Chung Chow PhD & Michael J. Austin PhD (2008) The
Culturally Responsive Social Service Agency: The Application of an Evolving Definition to a
Case Study, Administration in Social Work, 32:4, 39-64, DOI:

3. 10.1080/03643100802293832Lauffer, A. (20101116). Understanding Your Social Agency,
3rd Edition. [[VitalSource Bookshelf version]]. Retrieved from vbk://9781452239460