Description
A response is needed for this student discussion post – The African American community has a long history of mistrust of the medical establishment, due in part to the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. This study, which ran from 1932 to 1972, involved the intentional withholding of treatment from African American men with syphilis in order to study the natural progression of the disease. This study, and others like it, led to a deep mistrust of the medical establishment within the African American community. This mistrust can influence African Americans’ decisions regarding seeking services/therapy, as they may be hesitant to seek help from a system that has historically treated them unfairly. Providers/social workers should be aware of this history and work to build trust with African American clients.
Other historical experiences that providers/social workers should be aware of include:
-The Jim Crow laws, which enforced racial segregation in the Southern United States from 1876 to 1965
-The Great Migration, during which millions of African Americans moved from the rural South to the urban North in search of better economic opportunities
-The Civil Rights Movement, during which African Americans fought for equal rights and against racial discrimination
Providers/social workers should be aware of how these and other historical experiences have shaped the African American experience and how they may influence African American clients’ decisions regarding seeking services/therapy. Recently, there has been an increased focus on mental health within the African American community. This is due in part to the high rates of stress and trauma that African Americans experience as a result of systemic racism and discrimination. African Americans are also more likely to experience certain mental health conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety. Providers/social workers should be aware of these mental health disparities and work to provide culturally competent care to African American clients.
A response is needed for this students discussion post reply-
1. The best question that Martin should ask to get to know about Mariah’s situation is; why have you come here today and what is bothering you? According to the case study, so many things occurred in the life of Mariah, which really made her life unstable. On the other hand, it’s essential for Martin who is the social worker to get to know and to have a clear clue about these issues that are concerning Mariah, by literary enquiring full details about all her concerns. Interview is one of the best tools of data collection that Martin should apply to get to know more about Mariah’s condition. Martin should ask Mariah open-ended questions during the interview session, and be able to get to the bottom of these issues that are bothering Mariah, by collecting all the important data from what she says. Martin can know the exact problems Mariah has, from the answers she will give out concerning bad things that are happening in her life. The strengths perspective is how social work applies the strength and resources of people, in solving their issues, instead of just dwelling on their problems in the process of helping them. This will make Martin have full knowledge of what kind of resources Mariah has at her disposal. In this case, Mariah only has the information about the pregnancy which is very important according to her health during delivery, therefore, Martin should use the knowledge Mariah has to build on how to help her deliver safely. At this time, Martin should start by acknowledging his client who is Mariah by being courageous enough to share her situation. He should also ensure that he has a positive attitude throughout the conversation and make sure that the communication is efficient and timely, Martin should also be in a position to share the knowledge that gives Mariah hope by saying that she still has a bright future and nothing will stop her, also, he should boost her morale by telling her that life never stopped because of misfortunes. By doing all this Mariah will be able to trust Martin.
