Cultural Sensitivity in the Workplace and Community
The Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB) is a social service agency that seeks to improve the local community by providing opportunities to young people. FYSB works closely with the community to identify youths from poor backgrounds, the homeless, and runaways. The opportunities presented to such youths help them to keep away from crime and become productive members of the community. The FYSB has failed to maintain cultural sensitivity by stereotyping all youths of color. Runaway youths have different reasons for running away from home; however, FYSB assumes that all colored runaway youths are criminals.
The stereotypic nature of FYSB hinders effective rehabilitation of youths in the community. The agency has implemented several policies to maintain cultural sensitivity. The workers in the agency should find the root cause of an issue before any action whatsoever. Training the workers on how to communicate with youths will rid the agency of stereotype as the workers get to interact with the youths at a personal level.
One worker in FYSB in the National Runaway Safeline call center received a call from a runaway boy. The worker assumed that the boy was a criminal running away from law enforcers. The worker made an assumption based on previous experiences. However, the boy was in need since he had run away from abusive parents. In response to the violation, the agency summoned the worker and fired them on the grounds of negligence. I would have handled the situation differently because cultural insensitivity is a deeper problem that cannot be eliminated by firing one worker. I would have called the workers for a meeting and taught the importance of cultural sensitivity. Also, all the workers would interact with community youth at a personal level and understand that different people have different needs. In so doing, cultural sensitivity would be restored to the Family and Youth Services Bureau.
Reference
Family and Youth Services Bureau. (2019, February 25). Innovative Mentoring Strategy for Youth Exposed to Violence. Retrieved September 19, 2019, from Family and Youth Services Bureu: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/fysb/success-story/innovative-mentoring-strategy-for-youth-exposed-to-violence