The direction of social work practice can best be described as a pendulum, with major theoretical shifts occurring based on, among other things, social climate, funding and federal and state legislation. Thus, integrating cultural competence concepts into the clinical context has been an evolving process. The emphasis on cultural competence in the social work profession has evolved from a trend to what is now considered an academic knowledge base and professional standard (Bridge, Massie, & Mills, 2008). The 90s marked a shift towards multicultural competence and cultural diversity, it is still a fairly new concept… In many cases, discussions about cultural competence have been approached by non-social professionals and in terms multicultural therapy and counseling (Lu, Lum, & Chen, 2001). As the client population becomes a larger group in terms of socioeconomic level, race, gender identification, and sexual orientation, it is imperative that clinicians engaged in cross-cultural work conduct ongoing “self-inventories.” and are involved in collaborative discussions with their agency regarding cultural competency. The following article will be a perspective on my understanding of cultural competence as a clinical social worker in an agency setting. McPhatter (1997) defines cultural competence as the ability to bring cultural awareness and understanding into “health and/or psychosocial interventions that support and maintain healthy client system functioning in the appropriate cultural context (p. 261). Like many of my peers, I tend to view myself after graduation as a self-aware, competent and enthusiastic clinician, capable of serving all kinds of clients without bias......middle of the paper ......ural In some contexts, it is crucial that cultural competence receives the attention of the clinician and the agency. The ongoing work involved in this journey is emotionally demanding, and I find it extremely helpful to revisit the very reason I chose this profession. As Elizabeth J. Clarke, executive director of the National Association of Social Workers, so eloquently puts it: “We bring hope to our clients, our communities, and our society…. social work is the last best profession (p. 11). Given this, it is essential that as social workers we remember that although discussing societal constructs such as racism, classism, sexism and homophobia in the therapeutic relationship can be remarkably difficult, in By engaging in such conversations, you are fighting the power these constructs possess in your life, that of your client, and global society as a whole..