Latino Families in Therapy
MECA
A meeting place for culture and Therapy
Celia Jaes Falicov

It is vital that the needs of the immigrant community are addressed in a multisystem approach that addresses both challenges and strengths alongside a culturally humble view in order to effectively develop a working/trusting relationship with clients and effectively implement an intervention. Falicov effectively describes this utilizing the MECA-Multidimensional Eco Systemic Approach which offers a comprehensive definition of culture, a method for making meaningful comparisons, and room for multiple and evolving cultural narratives.
As a previous Child Protective Services Investigator in the border region of Cd. Juarez, Mexico and El Paso, Texas I encountered cases with families who were immigrants, predominantly from Mexico. I am a daughter of immigrant parents and am equally fluent in the Spanish and English language. Although, I am of Mexican origin and my parents where both immigrants the experiences that I share with my family are not completely equal to the experiences of the families I worked with. It was vital that I did no assume that I knew what the families were experiencing or had experienced because I had personal experience. As a social worker it was important for me to always keep in touch with my own cultural ideologies and privileges. Falicov describes this as one’s theoretical and ecological nich.
I encountered an array of similar situations with the families I worked with that where similar to the Diaz Ortiz case study presented in the Falicov article. Families where unaware of the Child Protective Services laws and the intrusion of workers going to their children’s schools and their homes, similar to the Diaz Ortiz family, led many families to not seek services due to fear of deportation. It is important to engage families by developing a trusting and understating relationship.
It is vital to allow the families to tell their story and enter with a knowing and not knowing stances which Falicov describes as knowing as many particular details about a culture as possible and not knowing approaches are based on a valuing of curiosity and encourages a dialogue that takes into account all meanings both cultural and personal. This allows for the recognition of the uniqueness of each family’s history. Also developing what Flaicov describes as a collaborative stance: the client as cultural and sociopolitical expert which is means that clients are the experts of their cultures and contexts. Clients are the only ones that can interpret the meaning of their personal and socio cultural experiences. In practice, Falicov describes the need of a multilevel collaborations as that involve services of folk healers, priests, family physicians, psychiatrists, social workers, teachers, or lawyers need to be a part of the clinical practice to create effective and coordinated change.

Once trust was established Child Protective Services laws where explained this was used by making a connection with the Child Protective Laws in their country of origin “Mexico”. It was vital to make the families know that their status undocumented/documented was not an issue in question (Varies by State and CPS policy) and that the well-being of the children and the stability of the family was the main focus of what needed to be addressed. Also developing what Falicov described as strengths based orientation is vital since Latino immigrant families face many challenges. It is important to address their strengths without minimizing their struggles and challenges. Although working with immigrant families is complex this chapter effectively addresses the main points that are needed when working with families who are immigrants.






Posted by Cassandra Muro to SW 625 Class Blog W14 at January 23, 2014 at 3:04 PM