Death Investigation Training: Cultural Competency
The increasing ethnicity base in the United States encompasses both traditional groups of diversity, religious based groups and also increasing numbers of newer immigrants and their diversity issues. Lessons for cultural competency for a wide variety of ethnic, racial and religious groups will increase basic cultural competency and diversity appreciation in death investigations. Overviews of cultural basic competencies, such as burial traditions, autopsy concerns / prohibitions, timing of burial etc., will be presented. Learning will occur with competency and issues formulated and purposely integrated with case material in other learning units. For example, some GSW or ID lectures will involve accommodation and dealing with families with burial traditions within 24 hours, an Elder smoking ceremony, pastoral care and other scenarios, assuring that multiple re-enforcement and opportunities for cultural competency are present in the training.
Objectives:
- Recognize how cultural/religious concerns impact their work.
- Have a basic understanding of funeral customs of numerous cultures and religions.
- Work with the family and local community to ensure the deceased is treated with cultural and religious integrity.
- Understand how they can adapt their procedures as possible to maintain religious/cultural integrity.