Hellenic Open University

Patras Greece , January 2014

Enhancing the skills and identity of Cultural Mediators in a multiethnic Europe

‘ Educating the cultural mediator in Europe ’

Prof. Bruno CiancioUniversity of Modena e Reggio Emilia. Italy

Resp. Intercultural masters programSenior staff manager , Policlinico di Modena

Intercultural Cities Expert – Council of Europe. Brussels

bruno.ciancio@unimore.it

‘ Educating the cultural mediator in Italy and in Europe ’

Are their alternatives for the future ?

The education of Intercultural mediators - The tendency

This education can vary according to what might be expected of the mediator and on his/her personal professional background

We can utilize: • Short courses of about 20 - 30 hrs. if the mediator is already one of the staff

• Medium length courses of about 50 – 60 hrs.

• Long courses of about 250 - 350 hrs.

General course content themes and organization

• It is very interesting to note that these courses have very similar content themes and organizational structure

• What varies is the degree of detail within each theme presented and the presence of allied themes involved

• The courses are basically all organized utilizzing the module method

• They usually have from 4 to 10 modules

• All course types have a practical module or stage

Why short and long courses

• This depends on where you expect the person to work

• If the individual is going to be primarily involved in one professional area then a short to medium course is often sufficient , even moreso if the person is already working within the field

eg – health care staff, teachers, social workers….…..

• If the person is going to be involved in a number of different areas and is not already part of these, for eg – health, welfare, education, legal system, prisons, minors etc …………….

Then a short course is really not sufficient and is inappropriate

A typical short course and relevant content themes

• The migrant, ethnicity and migration trends in the country in general ( national, regional, provincial, local levels…….. )

• Norms, legislation and legal issues regarding migrants

• Mediation from theory to practice – its application in the field( role of the mediator , role of the staff )

• Understanding the health care system /organization and its services

• Impact of migration on the system, access to services & equity issues )

• Meeting staff, migrants, mediators – what are the principle difficulties

• A practical module with exercises - about 4 / 6hrs.

A typical medium length course The content basically covers the same themes & involves more detail

• Introduction to the role and basic concepts of cultural anthropology

• Norms, legislation and legal issues regarding migrants

• Pedapsycological concepts and intercultural education issues

• Understanding the health care system et al and the impact of migration ( quality, equity and comunicating across diversity )

• How the mediator should be utilized . ( role of mediator, role of staff )

• Revisiting your second language ( the official language, local dialects )

• Intercultural discussion with staff, mediators on strategies for managing conflict

• The practical is usually about 8 / 12hrs.

A typical long course has similare content themes and even more detail

• The dynamics and flow of migrants within the country ( at all levels )

• Understanding the specific needs of migrants and why they have such needs

• Relationship building strategies and possible spsycoemotional complexities

• Norms, legislation and legal issues regarding migration

• Understanding the services available and how they can be better accessed and utilizzed

• Know how to interpret the needs of migrants and staff - the role of diversity

• Supporting the development of a positive bidirectional attitude between staff and migrant client - handling conflict situations

• Know how to interpret the cultural code of staff and migrant clients and facilitate them to develop good comunication

• Being an intercultural mediator, from theory to practice - how it should be applied

• Revisiting your second language – the official language, the local dialects

• Know how to mediate across diversity - able to pinpoint shortfalls in the ability to comunicate between staff and clients

• Help staff interact with clients,; Identify actions, projects that can foster this aspect

• Understand the importance of workplace security and pass this knowledge on to clients

• The practical stage here is about 60 / 80 hrs.

Is the cultural mediator the only viable alternative in a multiethnic Europe

?

The best cultural mediators are the staff and this can be achieved through the process of becoming

Culturally Competent

How is this possible ?

• The system as such should become……………………………………………… C-C

• The organizations within the system should become ….……………….. C-C

• The professions within the organizations should become…………….. C-C

• The individuals involved within the whole system should become C-C.

Why the cultural mediator is not a sustainable strategy

For basically two reasons :

1. The professional arguement 2. The economic arguement

• The use of mediators does not develop the staff’s intercultural ability and knowledge

• Staff tend to delegate their comunication and responsability to a third person

• Their is less interaction and therefore less bidirectional understanding and learning

• Their develops another power base - the mediator

• Staff slowly loose their professional authority/status with the client and family

• A third ( non professional ) fills a key role in the professional interaction ……………

How to proceed towards this C-C

• Have an organizational strategy ( a model to work with …………………….

• Make available to all staff a basic intercultural introductory course - 8 hrs. .

• Select intercultural reference persons from those attending the course and then have at least one of these in each work area/unit

• Offer a further specific course for the intercultural referees – 6 hrs and develop an internal network for them

• Give on the job continuous educ. to the intercultural reference persons ( in the work place ) during the year ( ½ to 1 hr. a week seems to be enough )

These persons are reference points for the staff –

- they give support and encouragement to staff - they give ideas and advice on handling intercultural events and questions - they indicate what and where intercultural material can be found and make it available - they know where contact persons are within the organiation and within the comunity……

The cost of a mediator tends to be constant over time – it does not diminish

• For a 400/500 bed hospital with 10% -15% migrants, (25%-55% in midwifery) & from 8 -10 different language / cultures you need to cover these for the week ……..

• The cost is basically (Italy) 9.000 to 16.000 a month via outsourcing; more if internal ( we spend 15.000 to 17.000 a month and it is forever constant)

• This cost can be cut by 40% to 65% and this will improve over time as staff become more Culturally Competent ( C-C ) Having C-C staff is the key to success & economic viability

• Their is more efficiency and effectiveness of services given

• Their is increased satisfaction of clients, family and staff

• Their is less intercultural conflict

• Their is a constant fall in the cost for mediation services

• Staff and migrant clients develop a better bidirectional understanding of each other

Work development strategy to achieve C-C staff

• Offer the intercultural education program to as many of the operational staff as possible

• Map and document the linguistic and cultural capabilities of your staff ( a compendium ) then place these staff accordingly within the organization if and when possible

• Use an appropriate employment strategy: have bilingual/bicultural & C-C staff at all levels within the organization

• Encourage staff to use ‘ their other language ’ as a normal work tool – its just another assett they have

• The staff are supported by the intercultural reference persons within the department, the work area, the location ……………….

• Both intercultural reference persons and staff are inturn supported by the central intercultural work unit staff ( 2 persons )

• Specific cultural mediators/interpreters can be called in only when the linguistic situation requires it

The costs involved :

• Less intercultural mediators need to be called • Therefore less mediation hrs are needed• Less intercultural conflicts occure• Staff satisfaction improves rapidly• The correct data is collected and compiled• Their is more client satisfaction and active collaboration• Staff’s intercultural ability and knowledge increases • Staff motivation to interface with migrants improves

Cost saving is from 40% to 65% per year compared to the classical mediation methodology and the level of quality and equity of services offered improves markedly

Further benefits of having C-C staff capable of being their own mediators

• Less third persons involved who are not professionals of the specific area

• The staff get to learn directly from the client and viceversa while they take action

• As time progresses the staff learn much more about diversity and the ‘ other ’

• As time progresses the need for mediators / interpreters diminishes futher

• Staff do not delegate their professional responsability and client contact

• Clients have direct contact with the professionals who are able to mediate without intermediaries

• Their does not develop a third power base within the work area - the mediator

• Quality and equity of services offered improves

We can start with a short basic intercultural education course for all the staff

8 hrs in one day……………………………….( 7+1 ) or 2 half days .

Content :• - The migrant situation within the country, region, province –state of the art• - The normative/legale aspects requiring attention within the workplace• - The impact of culture and diverse world views of individuals on each other • The impact of migration on the specific service in question – the main issues• - Mediation - why and how it should be carried out

• ( in summary - what have you been able to achieve up to now… what would you like to achieve over the next twelve months

( this latter question can be used as the basis for mapping out the strategic action plan for the next 12 / 24 months. )

Modello transculturale aperto, interattivo, multidimentionali e interdisciplinare per lo sviluppo della Competenza Culturale istituzionali e del personale nella società multietnica

1. Percorso multidisciplinare di responsabilità

10. Processo di analisi 2. Desiderio di agire e di feedback e consapevolezza

3. Formazione :

9. Supervisione interattiva processo longitudinale di sul lavoro sviluppo delle conoscenze

e skills culturale

La C-C delle istituzioni e del personale

8. Sistema multilingue di 4. Analisi della C-C documentazione / istituzionale e del comunicazione personale

7. Strategie di sviluppo Individuale 5. Nomina referenti Istituzionali, dei stakeholders, interculturali e standards per la C-C Profesionale 6. Interfacia / interazione con nuovi cittadini Organizzativo

Sistemico Dott. B.Ciancio 1994 - 2008. Modello transculturale di processo per il disegno e sviluppo della competenza culturale delle istituzioni e del loro personale

Modello di processo transculturale per il disegno e lo sviluppo della competenza culturale delle istituzioni sanitarie, sociali, del welfare e

del loro personale

1. Percorso multidisciplinare di responsabilità

10.Processo di 2. Desiderio di agire analisi e feedback e consapevolezza

3. Formazione: 9. Supervisione interattiva processo longitudinale sviluppo di conoscenze la C-C delle istituzioni sul lavoro e skills e del personale culturali

8.Sistema multilingue 4. Analisi della C-C di documentazione/ istituzionale e del comunicazione personale

7. Strategie di sviluppo 5. Nomina dei referenti istituzionale, degli stakeholders interculturali e di standards per la C-C ( 11° fase )

6.Interfacia / interazione

con i nuovi Italiani

B.Ciancio 1994 - 2008. modello di processo per il disegno e sviluppo della competenza culturale delle istituzioni e del loro personale

In a multiethnic Europe developing intercultural competence is not an

optional, it is a necessity

I believe that their is no other viable and affordable alternative for the future