The book defines cultural competence as “a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes, and policies that come together in a system, agency, or among professionals that enable a work effectively in intercultural situations. » Cultural competence in behavioral health, defined in my own words, is the ability of behavioral health workers and organizations to provide services that meet the social, cultural, and linguistic needs of clients. Working with a variety of different cultures can be overwhelming due to the amount of education required to specifically cater to diverse populations. I think behavioral health workers need to be motivated to go the extra mile to meet the needs of different cultures. Training and education must be culturally competent. Say no to plagiarism. Get a Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get an Original EssayCultural competence is important for several reasons. A practitioner cannot provide quality service if he or she is not trained in the practices, customs and values ​​of other cultures. Diagnosis may be inaccurate if a behavioral health worker is not trained to work with diverse cultures. What may be true with a client may differ from race to race as well as gender. Cultural competence is also important in areas of program planning. If a program is not tailored to all cultures intended to receive, this could constitute a problem of exclusion and discrimination because the program does not provide equal services to all races and cultures targeted to receive services. Many different aspects come into play in communication and are not necessarily limited to speaking. Alaska Natives, for example, have many different nonverbal methods of communicating. Raised eyebrows may indicate a “yes” response; a shrug could be someone answering someone's question by saying, "I don't know." A counselor who may not be familiar with nonverbal communication methods may assume that the client is unresponsive and this may lead them to believe that the client is ignoring them. In an extreme case, a therapist may think he has personality problems. If there isn't an understood way to do things, it can lead to things being done incorrectly or unintentionally. Communication is one of the most important aspects of any business, relationship or organization. Having training programs, meetings and workshops available and needed is a step in the right direction. These programs/meetings and workshops should address the following areas: communication, sexual harassment, policies, procedures, and cultural competency. I believe that as a business progresses, it learns what works for it through the process of elimination. Figuring out what works is done through trial and error. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay I think understanding someone's culture is just as important as it is when taking into account values, traditions, and worldviews. It is not enough to be educated about different cultures and value systems. Understanding how cultures differ from yours is relevant.