A Cultural Competency Program for Psychologists: Clinical and Supervisory Practices with Latino Culture and Language

This study was designed to develop and evaluate an online cultural competence training program for psychologists (N = 6). Psychologists who supervise clinical psychology graduate students were recruited via their affiliations with the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM), the National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology (NCSPP), the Association of Psychology Training Clinics (APTC), the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC), and the Pennsylvania Psychological Association (PPA). The purpose of the study was to address multicultural training gaps between supervisors and doctoral students in psychology and to meet the psychological needs of Latinos, the largest ethnic minority group in the United States. The program was expected to develop and increase psychologists’ sensitivity to Latino culture and language and enhance their multicultural competence in supervision. The study examined cultural competence as measured by the Cultural Competence Assessment (CCA), supervisory multicultural competence as measured by the Multicultural Supervision Inventory – Brief (MSI – B), and supervisory styles of psychologists as measured by the Supervisory Styles Inventory (SSI). The results revealed that psychologists gained knowledge in Latino culture and language and in multicultural supervision following completion of the cultural competence program. The major implication of this study supports the idea that cultural competence training is an effective, promising tool with which to educate psychologists in cultural and supervisory practices as they relate to the treatment of Latinos. Recommendations for future training and research on cultural competency include the development of cultural competency curriculum models for psychology and continuing education mandates in multiculturalism for psychologists