The actual lack of attention paid to diversity in the workforce is all too noticeable when a large scale incident takes place in the workplace. The problem is threefold. First, when contracting with a company, the company’s corporate culture as well as the cultural background of the employees should take center stage when setting the parameters for service. Second, speed to provide services many times replaces a thoughtful plan to develop the necessary network for a culturally competent provision of services. The final issue is that the pool of mental health professionals used to provide crisis response services are many times not representative of diversity within the workgroup population.
So what steps can you take? When contracting with an employer, ask about the diversity of the workforce. You will need to have handouts and interpreters at hand to provide services if the needs arise.
Contact mental health groups in the area where the companies are located to ascertain what diverse services are available in the area. Even if the cultural group in question is not represented by services in the area, many times they do have suggestions on how to access resources.
Know your community supports. Groups of very diverse backgrounds do not typically utilize mental health services. Churches and other informal networks function as very strong support systems for these individuals. Consider all options.
