Multicultural competence: Criteria and case examples.

Abstract

How do you as a professional psychologist know if you are competent to treat clients whose cultural origins values differ from your own? What awareness, knowledge, skills do you need? With whom should you consult? When should you Adopting an idiographic, inclusive approach, the authors identify 12 minimal multicultural competencies for practice illustrate their usefulness through 3 case examples. Suggestions for how professional psychologists can augment evaluate their own multicultural competencies are offered as well as implications for professional psychology educators. Consider the following scenario: Dr. Mary Ann Smith is a European American licensed clinical psychologist trying to build her private practice in a medium-sized town in the upper Midwest. She has worked to become listed on provider panels realizes how important self-referred individuals with good insurance are to her livelihood. In 1 week, she receives three new clients: a recently fired Native American male nurse filing a discrimination lawsuit against the school district; a Spanish-speaking Mexican American lesbian fighting a custody battle with her ex-husband; a blind, indigent, 70-year-old Irish American man with depression. Am I competent to treat these clients? wonder^ Dr. Smith, and if not, to whom do I refer? For professional psychologists like Dr. Smith, working with diverse clients will soon become the norm rather than the exception. Shortly after the year 2050, racial ethnic minorities will become a numerical majority in the United States (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1995). Nearly 75% of the current entering labor force are racial ethnic minorities or women, when baby