Wellness Wheel
The Mission of the National Wellness Institute (NWI) Multicultural Competency Committee is to support NWI with increasing inclusiveness by advancing multicultural competency within wellness best practices and to assist with the development of knowledge, awareness, and skills to deliver equitable and culturally appropriate programs and services for wellness practitioners, organizations, underserved populations, and communities.
The Goals of the Multicultural Competency Committee include:
Foster inclusiveness to advance multicultural competency within comprehensive wellness best practices and service delivery.
Systematically integrate diversity and multicultural competency within the operations and programmatic structure of NWI.
Develop initiatives, programs and continuing education focused on diversity and wellness to address differences related to: race, ethnicity, class, gender, age, country of origin, culture, political, religious and other affiliations, language, sexual orientation, as well as physical and cognitive abilities and other human differences.
Wellness is considered to be an active process of becoming aware of and learning to make choices (healthy choices) that lead toward a longer and more successful existence. – NWI definition.
WELLNESS has different meanings for different populations. The first step towards an effective wellness program is understanding what it means to your audience.
The Multicultural Wellness Wheel is designed to support wellness practitioners and related stakeholders in broadening their outlook as it relates to the concepts of wellness and well-being, and to support the recognition of the interlocking systems displayed within the wheel. This concept map addresses applied multicultural competency and the needs and goals of individuals, families, and workplaces. It also provides a guide for the development of well communities and civic infrastructures.
The Multicultural Wellness Wheel focuses on three pillars for optimal and lifelong well-being:
- Personal and Family
- Community
- Worksite Wellness
Personal & Family Wellness
Integral Wellness
- NWI’s Six Dimensions of Wellness
- Healthy daily habits self-efficacy
Integrative Medicine
- Integral healing-oriented medicine
- Conventional medicine
- Alternative medicine
MIND, BODY, SPIRIT
Community Wellness
Supporting underserved communities and minimizing healthcare disparities via the following approaches:
- Upstream: Policies, incentives & regulations
- Midstream: Collaborations, resources and skills
- Downstream: Grassroots initiatives
Worksite Wellness
Worksite Diversity Initiatives
- Cultural sensitivity
- Value-driven organizational culture
Work/life Balance Components
- Awareness of the importance of a balanced life
- Time & energy management
- Tools to help prioritize
How Can Wellness and Healthcare Practitioners Develop and Apply Multicultural Competency?
By becoming aware of one’s own personal assumptions about human behavior, values, bias, stereotypes, and personal limitations. Practitioners learn who they are as cultural beings, and how cultural socialization has shaped their worldview and their ability to work effectively with culturally diverse populations.
A culturally skilled practitioner is one who actively attempts to understand the worldview of their culturally different clients without negative judgments, and shows respect and appreciation for human differences.
A culturally skilled practitioner is mindful of actively developing and practicing culturally appropriate intervention strategies and working appropriately within diverse communities.
Serves as a Tool for Sustained Engagement
The Multicultural Wellness Wheel serves as a tool for sustained engagement and personal reflection, supports dialogue and discussions, and assists practitioners with individual, family, workplace, and community wellness initiatives related to their unique communities of practice.
The wheel fosters the building of healthy relationships across cultural differences within diverse communities of practice.
See original article at NationalWellness.org
