Culturally responsive caring in occupational therapy

The present study examined how practitioners conceptualized culture and used their understanding of a client's culture to provide culturally responsive caring. Descriptions of practice were elicited from experienced practitioners serving culturally diverse clients. Twelve practitioners completed a written questionnaire and participated in a telephone interview. Half of these same participants also participated in a follow-up interview, which was confirmatory in nature. Grounded theory methodologies were used to identify and conceptualize key processes inherent in these practitioners' descriptions of providing culturally competent care. Practitioners' perceptions of providing culturally responsive care were categorized into five interrelated constructs: building cultural awareness; generating cultural knowledge; applying cultural skills; engaging culturally diverse others; and exploring multiculturalism. One environmental construct, the diversity context was also defined in the data. Culturally responsive caring is described as a process of actively developing a synergistic relationship grounded in mutuality and an intentional respect for a person's cultures. The findings add to the discourse on cultural competency in occupational therapy and may help to examine conceptual models of cultural competency for the profession. Possible implications for culturally responsive professional development, education, practice and research are presented.