A multicultural assessment supervision model to guide research and practice.

Abstract

Multicultural assessment supervision is supervision of an assessment process in which the person assessed and the assessor are from different cultural backgrounds, the supervisor and the trainee are from different cultural backgrounds, or an instrument used in the assessment was developed with a cultural group different from that of the person assessed. A multicultural assessment competency model is presented to guide research and practice in multicultural assessment supervision. The model describes multicultural assessment competence areas, supervisor characteristics, supervision process variables, and supervision task areas important in the development of cultural competence in assessment practice. A significant demographic shift has occurred in the United States over the past 25 years. Individuals from nonwestern cultural groups compose an increasing proportion of the population. In many urban centers, ethnic minority groups together constitute the majority population, and these growth trends will likely continue or even accelerate (Schmitt, 2001; U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2006). Psychologists' caseloads are changing accordingly as they provide services to increasing numbers of individuals from multi- cultural groups. These larger societal changes are also reflected in the ranks of professional psychology. The most recent available data on the ethnic composition of psychology graduate students in the United States is for 2003-2004. These data indicated 27.3% of graduate students were members of ethnic minority groups (Norcross, Kohout, & Wicherski, 2005). These trends have impor- tant implications for clinical supervision, including assessment supervision, which will become increasingly multicultural. Unlike many other occupational groups, professionals are granted significant autonomy in their work roles. One responsibil- ity accompanying this autonomy is self-regulation through main- tenance of professional standards. Training and supervision are central to self-regulation in psychology through their role in main- taining professional standards (Holloway & Neufeldt, 1995). As- sessment is one of professional psychology's historical roots and contemporary distinguishing features. Given demographic trends, supervision of multicultural psychological assessment will become increasingly important in professional self-regulation. At present, no models exist to guide multicultural assessment supervision research and practice.