Multicultural competency building: Practical solutions for training and evaluating student progress.

Abstract

Fostering the development of cultural competence and responsiveness among psychology trainees is expected according to the professional standards of national accrediting bodies (Arredondo, Toporek, Brown, & Jones, 1996). However, the guidelines do not provide specifics on how to develop or evaluate such competence in trainees. This review offers information to help address that gap in clinical, counseling, and school psychology training literature. Building on the model of Sue, Arredondo, and McDavis (1992), we summarize multicultural training in the context of four domains of competence: development of multicultural beliefs and attitudes, knowledge, skills, and advocacy. We address these dimensions and provide a quick reference of teaching tools, offer a menu of experiential exercises, and discuss limitations and future directions in terms of student.

Evaluation of Service‐Learning‐Infused Courses With Refugee Families

“…This finding is also consistent with prior research indicating that when multicultural course work includes a cross‐cultural component, multicultural knowledge and skills increase, but awareness does not (Diaz‐Lazaro & Cohen, ). One explanation for the lack of an observed change is that awareness is more difficult to change than knowledge (Chao, Wei, Good, & Flores, ; Jones et al, ). Moreover, Jones et al () suggested that developing multicultural awareness may be a longer term process than changing knowledge and skills, especially early in one's professional development.…”

“…Infusing culturally focused classroom activities into a variety of courses within the curriculum can help counseling students develop multicultural competence (Collins & Pieterse, ; Jones et al, ; Pieterse, Evans, & Risner‐Butner, ; Weatherford & Spokane, ) and social justice advocacy skills (Jones et al, ). Furthermore, students can benefit from programs that extend training beyond the classroom experience by providing opportunities for students to engage with culturally and racially diverse individuals in the community (Alexander, Kruczek, & Ponterotto, ; Barden & Cashwell, ; Tomlinson‐Clarke & Clarke, ).…”

Development and Initial Examination of the School Psychology Multicultural Competence Scale

“…One way programs could do so is through the administration of existing multicultural competence measures. Jones et al (2013) also provide a rationale for the use of questionnaires to assess multicultural competence in graduate students. These questionnaires can be used as an initial exercise for gaining an understanding of one's own cultural values and beliefs and as pre-and post-training tools to determine growth or change in cultural awareness.…”

“…School psychology training programs are required to address multicultural and diversity issues in the practice of psychology; training programs are also required to evaluate how well they are attaining stated program and training goals. The use of self-report questionnaires was recommended as a way to evaluate students' multicultural competence as they progress through their training programs (Jones et al, 2013;Newell et al, 2010). However, the measures suggested focused on counseling and did not address all of the domains of school psychology practice.…”

Student beliefs, multiculturalism, and client welfare.

“…Learning to become a multiculturally informed mental health service provider is, as many have noted, a developmental process (e.g., APA, 2003;Jones, Sander, & Booker, 2013;Miller, Miller, & Stull, 2007). As students develop the attitudes, knowledge, and skills involved, a considerable amount of self-reflection and analysis is involved regarding the ways in which various aspects of identity are privileged or oppressed.…”