As the population of the United States becomes more diverse, it is important that research be done to inform the implementation of psychological services that meet the needs of a wide variety of ethnic and socioeconomic groups. One current limitation to research in multicultural counseling competence (MCC) is the lack of reliable and valid measures that consider the perspectives of the client. The standardized measures currently available are self-report measures completed by practitioners regarding their own perceived competence. These self-report measures are based largely on the well-regarded MCC guidelines set forth by Sue and colleagues (1992). Unfortunately, these measures present an incomplete (and possibly erroneous) representation of MCC as experienced by the client. The current study outlines the development of a measure meant to meet this need--the Client Experience of Provider Cultural Competence (CEPCCI)--and investigates the relationship between provider and client perceptions of the providers' abilities in this area. The CEPCCI is anchored in Sue et al.'s (1992) well-regarded theory on cultural competence and a qualitative study of client perceptions of multicultural counseling competence (Davis, 2007). The resulting scale consists of 38 items loading on one subscale with demonstrated content and construct validity and good reliability. A significant correlation between provider and client perceptions of the providers' multicultural counseling competence was also found. The need to obtain a consumer perspective on practitioner MCC is well-documented in the literature, and the present study has created a measure to fill this gap. This measure will open up a wider range of possibilities for research in MCC, as well as allowing providers of mental health services a way to assess their performance and progress in this area. / text

As the population of the United States becomes more diverse, it is important that research be done to inform the implementation of psychological services that meet the needs of a wide variety of ethnic and socioeconomic groups. Research suggests that minority and low-SES clients with mental health disorders are underserved and receive inferior care when they do receive treatment. Although a large body of theory on multicultural counseling competence (MCC) has been developed over the last 30 years, little empirical research has been done in this area. This research proposal reviews the current research and theory and proposes the development and norming of a consumer measure of MCC. / text

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Thesis advisor: Janet E. Helms / Training racial/ethnic minorities, or people of Color (POC), to provide culturally competent mental health care has gained increasing significance in counselor education and applied psychology programs in the past 30 years. From a developmental perspective, race may be the most salient psychosocial lens through which POC trainees perceive and experience professional training; multicultural supervision might be the primary mode for developing their cultural competence. However, supervision may not sufficiently attend to POC trainees' race-related characteristics. To better understand the possible influence of POC trainees' racial psychosocial development and experiences of multicultural supervision on their competence in counseling clients of Color, the present study examined relationships among POC trainees' racial identity attitudes, perceptions of multicultural supervision, and self-reported multicultural counseling competencies. POC trainees (N = 203) from clinical, counseling, and school psychology programs, who had completed at least one semester of therapy supervision, completed a sociodemographic questionnaire, the People of Color Racial Identity Attitudes Scale (Helms, 2011), the Multicultural Supervision Competencies Questionnaire (Wong & Wong, 1999), and the Multicultural Counseling Inventory (Sodowsky et al., 1994). Canonical correlation and regression analyses were used to investigate relationships among the variables. The canonical correlation analyses revealed three statistically significant patterns: (a) "Competent Internalization," wherein trainees reported positive relationships between self-actualizing racial identity attitudes (i.e., Internalization) and multicultural counseling competencies; (b) "Racially Ambivalent Relationships" characterized trainees endorsing low levels of Dissonant and Immersion/Resistance racial identity and increased competence in managing racial/cultural dynamics in counseling relationships; and (c) "Supervision Incompetence," characterized by POC trainees rating supervisors' cultural competence and their own multicultural knowledge, awareness, and skills competencies as low. Two multiple regression analyses indicated that only Internalization racial identity attitudes uniquely contributed to predicting trainees' perceptions of supervisors' cultural competence. Results were discussed with respect to how supervisors might utilize Helms's (1995) racial identity theory in multicultural supervision to assess and promote racial identity development and enhanced multicultural counseling competencies. Methodological limitations of the study and implications for research and practice are discussed. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2012. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology.

This study examined the multicultural counseling competence among new residence life professionals by using the Multicultural Counseling Knowledge and Awareness Scale (MCKAS: Ponterotto, Gretchen, Utsey, Riger, & Austin, 2002) and a demographic questionnaire created by the researcher. Results included statistically significant positive relationships between participants’ completion of multicultural counseling graduate coursework and multicultural knowledge, quantity of field experiences and multicultural knowledge, and race and multicultural awareness. A negative relationship was discovered between the frequency of travel experiences outside country of birth and multicultural knowledge. Implications of these findings for field of Student Affairs and suggestions for future research are discussed.

abstract: Increasing counselor trainees’ self-efficacy for multicultural counseling competence (MCC) is an essential part of their professional development to serve racially and ethnically diverse clients effectively. The present study examined the impact of multicultural training and the effects of a brief mindfulness intervention, compared to a control condition, on counselor trainees’ self-reported ethnocultural empathy and MCC. Data obtained from a sample of masters (n = 63) and doctoral (n = 23) counselor trainees were analyzed through a series of linear multiple hierarchical regression analyses. Consistent with previous research, results revealed that multicultural training significantly predicted scores of self-reported multicultural counseling knowledge and empathic feeling. The mindfulness intervention significantly predicted self-reported multicultural counseling knowledge. There was a significant interaction between condition (i.e., mindfulness intervention or control) and previous multicultural training when examining ethnocultural empathy’s empathic feeling and expression subscale. Specifically, trainees with lower levels of multicultural training who received the mindfulness intervention scored higher on empathic feeling compared to those in the control condition, while at higher levels of multicultural training there were no differences across condition. Implications for future research and counselor training are discussed. / Dissertation/Thesis / Mindfulness Intervention / Control Condition / Masters Thesis Counseling 2018

abstract: This study explored several training variables that may contribute to counseling trainees' multicultural counseling self-efficacy and multicultural case conceptualization ability. Specifically, this study aimed to examine the cognitive processes that contribute to multicultural counseling competence (MCC) outcome variables. Clinical experience, multicultural knowledge, and multicultural awareness are assumed to provide the foundation for the development of these outcome variables. The role of how a counselor trainee utilizes this knowledge and awareness in working with diverse populations has not been explored. Diversity cognitive complexity (DCC) quantifies the process by which a counselor thinks about different elements of diversity in a multidimensional manner. The current study examined the role of DCC on the relationship between training variables of direct clinical experience with diverse populations, multicultural knowledge, and multicultural awareness and the two training outcomes (multicultural counseling self-efficacy and multicultural case conceptualization ability). A total of one hundred and sixty-one graduate trainees participated in the study. A series of hypotheses were tested to examine the impact of DCC on the relationship between MCC predictors (multicultural knowledge, multicultural awareness, and direct contact hours with diverse clinical populations) and two MCC outcomes: multicultural counseling self-efficacy and multicultural case conceptualization ability. Hierarchical regression analyses were utilized to test whether DCC mediated or moderated the relationship between the predictors and the outcome variables. Multicultural knowledge and clinical hours with diverse populations were significant predictors of multicultural counseling self-efficacy. Multicultural awareness was a significant predictor of multicultural case conceptualization ability. Diversity cognitive complexity was not a significantly related to any predictor or outcome variable, thus all hypotheses tested were rejected. The results of the current study support graduate programs emphasizing counselor trainees gaining multicultural knowledge and awareness as well as direct clinical experience with diverse clinical populations in an effort to foster MCC. Although diversity cognitive complexity was not significantly related to the predictor or outcome variables in this study, further research is warranted to determine the validity of the measure used to assess DCC. The findings in this study support the need for further research exploring training variables that contribute to multicultural counseling outcomes. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Counseling Psychology 2013

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Diversity in the United States is steadily increasing with racial and ethnic groups traditionally called minorities expected to account for over 50% of the U.S. population by 2050 (U.S. Census Projections, 2009). At the same time, the school age population is expected to consist of 60% students from "minority" backgrounds. Yet, school counselors are mostly from White, European backgrounds and are projected to continue to come from that background (Brown, Parham, and Yonker, 1996; Pack-Brown, 1999; Vaughn, 2007). This creates frequent cross-cultural counseling relationships within schools necessitating that school counselors have multicultural competence. Multicultural counseling competence (MCC) has been related to awareness of privilege (Mindrup, Spray, and Lamberghini-West, 2011). This research investigates that connection and the connection of self-reported MCC of school counselors to their multicultural school counseling behavior. The research also examines the connection with school climate, which has been connected in previous literature to academic achievement. This research indicates relationships between the self-reported MCC of school counselors and awareness of privilege and oppression. Results indicated a predictive relationship between MCC and awareness of privilege and oppression on multicultural school counseling behavior. Furthermore, results indicated a predictive relationship between MCC and awareness of privilege and oppression on perceived school climate. Results also indicate a relationship between reported multicultural school counseling behavior and perceived school climate. Selected demographic factors were also examined, indicating differences in the constructs of interest based on gender, ethnicity, and having taken a multicultural class. Relationships and differences remain after accounting for social desirability.

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