Multicultural peer-consultation meetings are structured to facilitate addressing the clinical consultation needs of MC team members. Team members provide validation, resources, alternative perspectives, and problem-solving, as needed.
Principles that guide our discussion
1. Dialectical Agreement. We agree to balance being gentle with ourselves and colleagues, while also helping each other identify “blind spots”. We agree to not hold on to one position as presumed fact, but rather as personal perspectives nuanced by our learning history and contexts.
2. Phenomenological Empathy Agreement. We agree to be mindful of assumptions we may make about our patients. We will strive to use non-judgmental and non-pejorative language when discussing patients’ or each other’s culture (see domains under Diversity Agreement). We strive to not over- or under-pathologize behaviors, belief systems, or practices that may have a cultural basis.
3. Fallibility Agreement. We understand that we are humans existing in contexts shaped by our culture. To that end, we agree to strive to have a deeper understanding of our clients’ behaviors, belief systems, or practices and see the validity in them. We will aim to not hold our perspectives as presumed fact, but rather as an alternative viewpoint.
4. Continuous Growth Agreement. We acknowledge we can never fully achieve cultural competence, as it is an aspirational goal. Instead, we will strive towards continuously growing in this area.
5. Safe Space Agreement. We agree to create a space that is safe and explorative. Doing so, will allow us to feel safe in sharing our backgrounds and challenges, which in turn will help us have productive consultation.
6. Diversity Agreement. We strive to be inclusive in our conceptualization of diversity, such that it will encompass, but is not limited to: race, ethnicity, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, SES, ability, spirituality/religion, nutrition, rituals/traditions, ideologies, communication, family structure/roles, and health-care practitioners/practices
Note: These agreements were decided upon by the Duke Multicultural Consultation Team in November 2016. These agreements borrow language from Linehan’s DBT Consultation Team Agreements (Behavioral Tech, LLC)