Operation Fresh Start Case Study

The nation we live in is comprised of many different kinds of people with different kinds of cultures. In a society that is dominated by a system designed to perpetuate white privilege this then leads to the subjugation of certain cultures that do not adhere to the dominant white culture. This subjugation can lead to conflicts that arise when an oppressed population goes unheard. Becoming aware of this and trying to actively disrupt and challenge this system is immensely difficult (Xiong, 2017). There are, however organizations that are trying to push back against this system that continues to create vast inequalities. One such organization that is trying to do something about these inequalities is Operation Fresh Start (OFS). I will be analyzing this organization’s policies and practices about cultural competency based on interviews I conducted with staff who are currently working at OFS. I will then offer ideas on where improvement can be made by the organization to better provide a more culturally competent environment.
The participants at OFS benefit from increasing amounts of time with staff because it allows a genuine helping relationship to develop. It also allows the participant to realize the welcoming and inclusive environment OFS hopes to offer each participant. Unfortunately this was not the case for one participant. A requirement of the work participants do is having personal protective equipment that is secure. This participant had hair that prevented their personal protective equipment from being secure. The site supervisor having many years in the trades looked at this issue from a safety perspective. The perspective the supervisor utilized overlooked the importance this participant placed in their hair. The benefit of this situation was that it brought to the forefront issues that needed to be addressed going