In her book, The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures, Anne Fadiman writes, "I have always felt that the action most worth watching is not at the center of things but where edges meet. I like shorelines, weather fronts, international borders. There are interesting frictions and incongruities in these places, and often, if you stand at the point of tangency, you can see both sides better than if you were in the middle of either one" (p. viii). As practitioners in schools, we are often standing on the shorelines and weather fronts where we witness the frictions and connections between and among students, caregivers, educators, administrators, and community members. Our roles are often to stand in the middle so we can see both sides in order to support students' learning and mental health. This ability to see both sides can sometimes elicit feelings of discomfort and distress, particularly when it can disrupt relationships. Yet, this ability to navigate the shorelines is what brings strength to our roles-as school counselors, school psychologists, school social workers, and other professionals"--
As trends continue in U.S. schools toward a more racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse K-12 student population, school-based professionals have an important role in supporting students' mental health and learning. Practitioners, including school psychologists, school counselors, and social workers, are expected to have the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to provide culturally responsive services with the goal of promoting safe, supportive, and inclusive schools. In Culturally Responsive School-Based Practices, Anisa N. Goforth and Andy V. Pham provide foundational knowledge and practical strategies for conducting culturally responsive assessment and promoting the resilience and well-being of culturally and linguistically diverse populations, including refugee, immigrant, racial and ethnic minoritized students, and English-language learners. The book integrates cultural humility and social justice, and emphasizes positive psychology and collaborative approaches that minimize the use of deficit thinking. With case examples, practical resources, discussion questions, and opportunities to engage in self-reflection or critical reflexivity, educators and practitioners who deliver educational and mental health supports in schools will be able to develop and demonstrate cultural humility, cultural responsiveness, and advocacy within educational settings.
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