242503 Prevention of Domestic Violence in Immigrant Faith-Based Communities: The Multiple Dimensions of a Culturally Competent Model

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Mimi Kim, MSW , School of Social Welfare, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
This paper examines the multiple dimensions of cultural competence through a case study documenting the development of an innovative 10-week Bible study curriculum addressing domestic violence within Korean-American immigrant communities. The decade long unfolding of this immigrant faith-based domestic violence prevention initiative reveals many factors that emerge prominently in efforts to meaningfully engage faith communities in a process of social change. It also demonstrates how culture is constructed through intersecting dynamics including more conventional notions of ethnic-specific social norms, religious adaptation, the structure of community organizations and social change forces such as feminism and liberation theology. This initiative adopts a prevention and intervention framework based upon community capacity building thereby demonstrating complex processes of community engagement including the importance of participatory evaluation in developing cultural competent practices. This project which is currently supported through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Strengthening What Works Initiative, expands current public health discussions regarding primary and secondary violence prevention and cultural competence in immigrant communities.

Learning Areas:
Diversity and culture
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
1) To identify at least 3 dimensions underlying cultural competency in under-served immigrant communities 2) To demonstrate through case example the community engagement process in developing a culturally competent prevention strategy

Keywords: Domestic Violence, Cultural Competency

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a family violence practitioner and a doctoral candidate conducting research on issues regarding family violence prevention and intervention.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.