Competent Poverty Training

Abstract

Despite numerous calls to the discipline, attention to poverty and social class remains minimal in psychology even though most human experience is significantly affected by social ranking. As a result, educators lack models for training in the context of poverty. Recent and concerted efforts to define and implement competency-based models for the practice of professional psychology have resulted in the creation of Competency Benchmarks (American Psychological Association, 2011). Here, these Competency Benchmarks frame the integration of best practices in working with poor and working-class clients with what we know about what constitutes good training. The result is a competency-based approach for those who are training psychologists-to-be to work effectively with economically challenged clients.

Advancing training in session fees through psychology training clinics.

“…For example, Clark and Sims (2014) demonstrated no relationship between the fee that a client paid for treatment and client progress, attendance, and number of sessions completed. Finally, we highlight findings regarding the importance of considering social class and money within the context of psychotherapy (e.g., Kim & Cardemil, 2012; Smith, 2009; Stabb & Reimers, 2013) and describe the ways that adopting a sliding fee scale structure allow us to realize our clinic mission to increase accessibility for individuals who may otherwise be unable to access psychotherapy (e.g., Pope & Arthur, 2009).…”

“…Despite documented (e.g., Falconnier, 2009; Miranda et al, 2003) disparities in psychotherapy treatment attendance and outcomes for patients from low social class backgrounds (i.e., an individual’s perception of oneself as on the lower end of the stratification hierarchy; American Psychological Association [APA], 2007), social class often has been a neglected contextual variable within psychotherapy literature (e.g., Goodman, Pugach, Skolnik, & Smith, 2013; Smith, 2009; Thompson & Dvorscek, 2013). One consistent theme that has emerged from the literature is that clinicians lack specific training and skills in the incorporation of social class-related issues into treatment (e.g., Appio, Chambers, & Mao, 2013; Ballinger & Wright, 2007; Balmforth, 2009; Kim & Cardemil, 2012; Liu, Pickett, & Ivey, 2007; Pope & Arthur, 2009; Stabb & Reimers, 2013; Thompson et al, 2015). Low cost and sliding scale fee clinics offer one outlet for individuals who have limited access to resources (e.g., money, health insurance coverage) to seek mental health treatment (e.g., Aubry, Hunsley, Josephson, & Vito, 2000).…”

Clinical Experiences With Clients Who Are Low-Income

“…Despite the documented disparities in treatment attendance and outcomes for clients from lower as opposed to higher incomes (e.g., Nadeem et al, 2009; Siefert et al, 2000), relatively limited data exist to explain the contributing factors. A desire to understand these influences has been the focus of several recently published articles (e.g., Stabb & Reimers, 2012), book chapters (e.g., Thompson & Dvorscek, 2013), and a growing body of empirical investigations (e.g., Smith, Mao, Perkins, & Ampuero, 2011; Thompson et al, 2012; Thompson, Diestelmann, Cole, Keller, & Minami, 2014). Taken together, a variety of potential explanations for disparities in mental health treatment attendance and outcomes have been offered.…”

“…Although several scholars and practitioners have described their anecdotal experiences and barriers faced in their work with clients from low-income backgrounds (e.g., Smith, 2005), summarized themes from the literature (e.g., Goodman et al, 2013; Santiago et al, 2012), and highlighted the relative dearth of knowledge of social class in psychotherapy literature (e.g., Stabb & Reimers, 2012; Thompson & Dvorscek, 2013), relatively limited data exist to explore the personal and professional experiences of mental health practitioners who work with clients who are low-income. One recent exception (Smith, Li, Dykema, Hamlet, & Shellman, 2012) used consensual qualitative research methods to explore the experiences of 10 master’s levels clinicians who were practicing in a northeastern urban area of the United States.…”

The experience of doctoral students at program-affiliated practicum training clinics.

“…specific training and skills in the inclusion of cultural and social class-related issues into treatment (Appio, Chambers, & Mao, 2013;Stabb & Reimers, 2013). Scholars note the importance of social justice training early in students' training (Beer, Spanierman, Greene, & Todd, 2012;Miller & Sendrowitz, 2011).…”