Candidate Assessment through the Lens of Inteculturality

Candidate Assessment through the Lens of Interculturality

Have you ever experienced asking a question that elicits very different responses depending on a person’s culture? Learning to be culturally mindful when assessing applicants for admission requires a clear lens to see the giftedness of the cultural wealth in each discerner. At the same time, with new and effective treatments available for chronic conditions, it can be difficult to distinguish the seriousness of some illnesses which necessitates telling a discerner to stop discerning religious life because community living could affect a person’s ability to function.

This workshop explores the impact of socio-economic factors and generational trauma that impacts today’s discerners and vowed members. Socioeconomic factors affect one's ability to engage in employment, access medical care and healthy food, afford housing, and manage stress. Generational trauma extends from one generation to the next when a group/family experiences a traumatic event that causes economic, cultural, and familial distress. Thus, subsequent generations may inherit trauma and health conditions that can be subtle and silent, inadvertently taught or implied throughout someone’s life. Some examples include Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE), Post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, and heart disease. This workshop will address symptoms such as: depersonalization, emotional numbness, social isolation, and impaired life skills (critical thinking, decision-making, and time management).

This workshop will address how to respectfully gather the information needed without stereotyping, generalizing, or minimizing behaviors that can make community life challenging. It will also explore the blind spots, microaggressions, and implicit biases vocation ministers have during interviews. We will explore how psychopathology is expressed across cultures and what symptomology looks like, including serious mental health issues that can be hereditary, have no simple cure, or have enduring behaviors that require lifelong treatment that would preclude admission to vowed communal life. Come with your questions, your insights, and your curiosity to learn and unlearn interview techniques to assess all aspects of a person’s identity and culture.

Dates and venues

This one day workshop will be offered 9:00 am to 3:00 pm in the following Member Areas:

June 13, 2025, Delaware Valley Member Area, at Redeemer Health Spark Transformation Center, 521 Moredon Rd, Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006

September 2, 2025, Southwest Member Area, St. Mary's University, One Camino Santa Maria, San Antonio TX 78228

October 18, 2025, Midwest Member Area, Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart, 9201 W St. Francis Road, Frankfort, IL 60423

Workshop fee and registration

This workshop is part of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation grant to the NRVC to provide interculturality workshops to NRVC members and their religious institutes to enhance skills to be cultural mindful leaders The workshop fee of $25 covers lunch, breaks, materials, venue, and speaker stipend. We kindly ask NRVC members to register the total number of participants attending from their team for one payment in the NRVC on-line store.  

Non-member fee is $270 per person. 

Overnight accommodation is not provided. If needed, please seek the assistance of thr Member Area Coordinator where the workshop is offered.

This workshop is open only to NRVC members and members in their religious institute. Click here to become an NRVC member. 

Presenter

Crystal Taylor-Dietz, Psy.D.  is a licensed psychologist in Maryland and the District of Columbia. Since 2007, Dr. Taylor-Dietz has been working in behavioral health/mental health holding positions in community based, residential and outpatient services, including leadership, management and supervisory roles. She operates her private practice in Maryland conducting individual and family therapy with adults and adolescents. Dr. Taylor-Dietz was the director of Caritas Counseling Center, Saint Luke Institute in Maryland, a member of executive leadership, supervised clinical staff, provided clinical services, and managed the daily operations of the outpatient center. Dr. Taylor-Dietz is a member of the supervising faculty at The George Washington University Professional Psychology Program and was a teaching faculty member in the Child and Adolescent Training Program at the Washington School of Psychiatry. Her research/publications, teaching and clinical interests have included issues related to mental health/wellness, race/ethnicity, personality and culture and the intersection of psychology and spirituality.

Workshop terms and conditions

Please read our NRVC terms and conditions for all events and programs.

Workshops are designed from the NRVC curriculum for those who wish to deepen their understanding of the complex theological, spiritual, psycho-sexual, ethical, and diversity issues often present in contemporary vocation ministry. NRVC recommends that vocation ministers participate in ongoing educational opportunities to attend to their own vocation, faith formation, and to further develop their professional competencies. 

Questions about this workshop?

Please contact Sister Debbie at debbiesscm@nrvc.net