Competency Category:
Competency Series:

4.1 – Respect Diversity and Inclusion

Purpose & Context

Career Development Professionals (CDPs) recognize that values and beliefs held by a person may be aligned with, or different from, their own. CDPs reflect on their own values, beliefs, privileges, and biases, both conscious and unconscious, while seeking to understand those of their clients. CDPs challenge their own assumptions and avoid stereotypes that might negatively impact the well-being of the client and the outcomes of the intervention.CDPs develop the skills necessary to better understand diversity and inclusion principles as they impact the client populations they serve. CDPs develop individualized services to meet the needs of each client.

Effective Performance

Competent career development professionals must be able to:

  • P1. Recognize their own values, beliefs, privileges, and biases
  • P2. Reflect on their own worldview
  • P3. Seek to understand client’s background and worldview
  • P4. Research information relevant to client’s cultural background, e.g. history, values, beliefs
  • P5. Develop collaborative relationships with partners and stakeholders within communities served
  • P6. Identify potential challenges and barriers to the client, e.g. language, racism, discrimination
  • P7. Identify tools and resources suitable to address client’s barriers
  • P8. Develop tailored intervention based on client needs
  • P9. Participate in learning opportunities relating to diversity, inclusion, and systemic barriers faced by clients

Knowledge & Understanding

Competent career development professionals must know and understand:

  • K1. Principles of anti-oppressive practice
  • K2. Legislation and regulation, e.g. Canadian Human Rights Act, Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Provincial
    Acts and Codes and the Criminal Code, rights of LGBTQ2+ persons (i.e. gender identity and gender expression as
    protected groups from discrimination)
  • K3. Systemic barriers impacting specific groups
  • K4. Community resources and other support services available to clients, including:
    • Eligibility criteria for these services
    • Quality of these services
    • Referral process for these services

Contextual Variables

Competent career development professionals must be able to perform this competency in the following range of contexts:

CDPs serve clients with diverse worldviews. Clients’ worldviews may influence career choices and career decisions. CDPs must reflect on worldview issues to develop appropriate interventions. In addition, CDPs serve clients that may present with complex barriers and challenges.

Glossary & Key References

Terms

Industry-specific terms contained in the standard defined here, where applicable.

Worldview: how a person perceives and interprets the world as shaped by cultural lens, individual values, and beliefs.

Information Sources and Resources for Consideration

  • — Shepard, Blythe C. & Mani, Priya A. Eds. Career Development Practice in Canada. Toronto: CERIC Canadian Education and Research Institute for Counselling, 2014. ISBN: 978-0-9811652-3-3.
  • — Zunker, Vernon G. Career Counselling: A Holistic Approach 9th edition. Boston: Loose-leaf Edition, 2016. ISBN-10: 978-1-305-40106-8

Context Rating Scales

Criticality

Q: What is the consequence of a professional being unable to perform this skill according to the standard?

Moderate risk: CRITICAL

Frequency

Q: How frequent and under what conditions is this skill performed?

Routinely, regular course of procedure

Level of Difficulty

Q: Under routine circumstances, how would you rate the level of difficulty in performing this skill?

Moderate difficulty or complexity

Time Required to Gain Proficiency

Q: What is the average length of time or number of repeated events that are minimally necessary for an individual to become proficient in performing the skill to the standard?

A competent career development professional requires a minimum of one year of experience with at least 40 different clients, representing a broad range of individuals.

Autonomy

Practitioners typically perform this competency without supervision, and alone.

Automation

It is unlikely that this competency will automate.

Requisite Work Aids, Tools, Equipment or Materials

None