The United Kingdom (UK) is becoming increasingly diverse (Office for National Statistics, 2013). Educational psychologists in the UK will need to feel competent in providing services to an increasingly multicultural population. This research study used a mixed method, two-phase, sequential, explanatory study design to explore the self-perceived intercultural competence of UK educational psychologists and trainee educational psychologists (EP/Ts). The study also explored EP/Ts experiences of working with culturally diverse populations. The first phase of this research study used an online adapted version of the MCCTS-R (Holcomb-McCoy & Myers, 1999; Munoz, 2009), and the second phase built upon the first phase with follow-up semi-structured interviews, analysed using Braun & Clarke's (2006) thematic analysis. The results of this research study present a breadth and depth of information. EP/Ts generally perceived themselves to be competent to work cross-culturally with particular areas of competence including knowledge of assessment bias, poverty effects, and positive attitudes towards diverse cultures. EP/Ts also reported areas of lower competence including theories of racial/ethnic identity development, limited experiences of community work and limited knowledge of community resources. However, EP/Ts perceptions about development needs depended upon their awareness. The process of participating in the study raised awareness of gaps in knowledge and limitations in practice. The study concludes with a discussion of implications for the practice of EP/Ts.

Although study abroad programs often focus on academic and cultural experiences, research training can be the nexus between knowledge of the professions and development of cross-cultural competence. Development of a research-based study abroad program will be presented as a mechanism for students to develop scientific and cultural skills in tandem.

Despite significant research and inroads with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), disparities in HIV infection continue to widen for African American (AA) men who have sex with men (MSM). In recent times, cultural competence has been receiving increased attention as a possible factor to enhance the quality of health messaging and lessening HIV disparities. However, there is a dearth of research specifically dedicated to AA MSM and culturally competent HIV health messages. To address this gap, this qualitative research was designed to investigate the self-perceived cultural competency among HIV counselors. The theoretical framework for the project was the PEN-3 cultural model. The interview participants for the study were 10 HIV interventionists employed with health institutions that partially or entirely specialize in HIV prevention in the Richmond, Virginia, area. The analysis of the data was aided by a phenomenology analytical approach. The results revealed that cultural competence training can be one effective means to enhance the quality of health messages targeting AA MSM. This investigation has social change implications, especially in the context of developing sustainable HIV prevention interventions focused on integrating culture, thereby reducing HIV disparities in the Richmond metropolitan area. The findings may also lend insight into the various ways that health establishments can engage in culturally relevant prevention and position themselves to be leaders in informing the development of culturally competent HIV prevention messages that will aid in the acceleration of changing longstanding, ineffective prevention approaches targeting AA MSM.

Interprofessional education (IPE), a concept that brings students from different health care professions together in the learning process, has been adopted by some physical therapy (PT) schools as an alternative to traditional PT-only curricula. Both approaches have the goal of improving patient outcomes for an increasingly diverse population. There was a void in the research comparing IPE and traditional curricula in PT education. Grounded in the theoretical frameworks of adult and social learning theory, the purpose of this study was to examine differences in students' self-efficacy, cultural competence, and perceptions of the learning environment based on curricular type and prior to their first clinical internship. The nonexperimental, causal-comparative research design was used to test a single research question about differences in the 4 dependent variables based on curriculum format (IPE or traditional) for a balanced, random sample of 218 preclinical students from 6 different PT programs. The results of Hotelling's T2 and post hoc analysis revealed statistically significant, higher self-efficacy scores for students in IPE curriculum than ones in the traditional curriculum. No significant differences were found related to cultural competence and perception of learning environment. Results suggest that future research could examine the relationship between self-efficacy and cultural competence. The positive social change implication for this research was that preclinical PT students' in an IPE curriculum had increased self-efficacy as compared to those in traditional curricula. This information can be used to provide direction for PT programs as they work toward delivering exceptional educational experiences in order to improve patient outcomes and better society.

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to learn how cultural sensitivity was integrated and perceived in community nutrition education of an existing program offered by the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service Nutrition Education Program. Data collection consisted of a quantitative cultural competence assessment survey tool used with nutrition education paraprofessionals (n=74), qualitative in-depth interviews of nutrition education paraprofessionals (n=8) and focus groups of Hispanic/Latino nutrition education program participants (n=39). Findings were focused in three areas; the cultural sensitivity needs of the program, the perception of nutrition education by participants and the training and professional development needs of nutrition education paraprofessionals. Among the cultural sensitivity needs of the program identified were curriculum resource needs, community referral needs, the importance of community partnerships and the importance of incorporation of children in nutrition education were identified. Among the training and professional development needs of nutrition education paraprofessionals, a need for Hispanic cultural education, language services education and chronic disease education were reported. The value of cross-cultural exchange and the need for chronic disease education in relation to dietary habits were identified by the participant focus group findings.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand Indiana High School principals’ perceptions and practices of cultural competence in their schools. The projected changes in the demographics of the United States (US) school age population will result in traditionally underserved ethnic minority students being the majority in US schools in the next few years. Despite the billions of dollars that have been spent to close the achievement gap (TAG) between Whites and traditionally underserved ethnic minority students, TAG persists. Scholars have proposed that cultural dissonance, incompatibilities between a school’s culture and that of its students, may be a reason for TAG. As a result, cultural competence may be a vehicle that institutions can use to reduce cultural dissonance and close TAG. This study used a phenomenological framework and utilized semi-structured interviews to obtain data from 10 Indiana High School Principals whose schools had at least a 40% traditionally underserved ethnic minority population. The data were analyzed using Lindsey et al’s (2009) <i>5 Essential Elements of Cultural Proficiency</i> as well as 15 indicators of cultural competence that were gleaned from their research. Open coding was conducted using a framework described by Tesch (1990) to identify emergent themes from the principals’ commentaries. Results showed that principals demonstrated high proficiencies in assessing their cultures, valuing diversity, and adapting to diversity within their institutions. Growth, however, is required in their abilities to manage the dynamics of difference within their institutions and their propensity for institutionalizing cultural knowledge.

This study measured the effectiveness of an international social work course in increasing MSW students’ understanding of global interconnectedness and cultural competence utilizing an exploratory quantitative research design. Data were collected from twelve participants from a social work school in the west coast who completed a survey prior to beginning the course and again after completing the course. The study found that participants had an increase in both cultural competency and global interconnectedness after the course. The results of this study correlate with the limited literature available on the topic of international social work and supports the expansion of study abroad experiences for social work students structured in the manner of the international social work course studied.

Racial and ethnic health disparities are highest in communities of color; providing culturally competent care could address these disparities. Culturally competent communication between the healthcare provider and the patient is an essential behavior that may improve health in racially and ethnically diverse women. A quality improvement project was completed with guidance from the 5 constructs of the Campinha-Bacote model as the conceptual framework, and the method used was the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey. The perspective of 20 Mexican American and 20 African American women in El Paso, Texas between ages 45 and 72 with menopausal symptoms was surveyed to determine if culture had an impact on the presence or absence of communication with their healthcare providers. Results showed women's perceptions of positive and negative communication behaviors with their healthcare providers was inconclusive; however, results showed that provider communication about health promotions, use of alternative medicine, and shared-decision making regarding health management needs improvement to promote adherence to medical regimen and feelings of mutual respect. Integrating cultural competence into existing evidence-based care can positively impact the delivery of services and help improve the quality of care. Healthcare providers can impact positive social change through the lessening of burdens associated with the lack of diversity in the workforce by including cultural competence training into the curriculum of nursing and medical schools.

No description available.

Disparities in the use, quality, and outcomes of treatments, and the barriers that deter Hispanics from receiving healthcare services have been widely studied. Yet, similar efforts have been slow in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). A way to decrease treatment disparities is to assess the influence of cultural variables in behavior analytic interventions, and to evaluate whether manipulations to these variables improve the overall results of the interventions among Hispanic families. During this study, we adapted functional communication training (FCT) to Hispanic parent’s cultural values, we assessed the preference for culturally adapted and non-culturally adapted functional communication responses (FCR), and we evaluated the social validity of both FCRs. We achieved this by creating the Culturally-Adapted Response Evaluation Survey (CARES) for behavior analysts to use as a guide when interviewing parents to identify an FCR that adheres to the families’ cultural values. We evaluated parents’ preference for each FCR using a multiple-baseline design in which parents were trained to implement procedures to maintain the FCR that was taught and we provided parents an opportunity to choose the FCR they wanted to reinforce. The results of the study and their implications for ABA services are discussed.