2020 Volume 24 Issue 1 Pages 3-14
This paper reviewed the current condition of the support services for foreign residents in Japan to identify the challenges in developing psychological services that meet the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse populations. A conceptual multicultural competent practice model from the US is introduced and the importance of its ecological perspective is discussed, after which the study examines the influence of Japan’s multicultural co-existence policy on the development of support services.
It was found that taking a community psychological approach that identifies the contextual factors, which influence service development decision-making processes, could contribute to the provision of culturally competent services. The author stressed the importance of the community-based research to reveal diverse needs in the community. The engagement of professionals who represent minority populations and the majority members’ involvement are also essential to service development.
