Book Description

Developed primarily in the consulting rooms and universities of Europe and North America, traditional forms of psychological assessment and treatment are not up to the task of dealing with today's culturally diverse patients. In an increasingly multicultural society, where basic terms such as "normality" and "family" can have radically varying definitions, it is not unusual for well-meaning clinicians to inadvertently misclassify unfamiliar behaviors or beliefs as abnormal or pathological. Ultimately, the solution lies in educational reform. In the meantime, a major first step toward ensuring that ethnically different patients receive quality mental health services is the adoption of culturally sensitive assessment and intervention models such as those described in this pathbreaking book. The culmination of its authors' many years of experience in working with culturally diverse patients, this timely guide arms practitioners with an array of innovative—yet clinically grounded—approaches to psychological assessment, intervention, and training. With the help of numerous case examples drawn from their work with Asian, Caribbean, African American, and Hispanic clients, Drs. Gopaul-McNicol and Brice-Baker illustrate a four-step approach that entails assessing problems within their familial and sociocultural contexts, and then tailoring interventions that take full advantage of the religious, social, educational, familial, and legal institutions that shape an individual's experiences and beliefs. The authors begin with a trenchant critique of traditional mental health training, in which they expose built-in cultural and historical biases that effectively hobble a trainee's ability to think multiculturally. They next explore a range of assessment issues, describe clinically validated techniques for treating culturally diverse children, parents, and couples, and outline best practices in report writing for linguistically and culturally diverse clients. In their discussion of clinical issues that arise when dealing with culturally diverse families, they detail a proven Multicultural/Multimodal/Multisystems (Multi-CMS) approach to intervention. Returning to the topic of education in the final section, they outline the major competencies needed to develop a trainee's multicultural skills, and offer valuable training suggestions for professors and clinical supervisors. Describing a dynamic new approach to cross-cultural assessment and treatment, Cross-Cultural Practice is valuable reading for both professionals and students in mental health. A dynamic new approach to cross-cultural assessment and treatment The Global Village presaged by Marshall McLuhan in the 1960s has arrived with a vengeance. For many mental health professionals this brings with it the daunting challenge of working with patients with a vast array of beliefs, values, customs, and behaviors. This groundbreaking book helps clinicians meet the challenge of assessing and treating diverse clients by arming them with a bold new multicultural approach. Using numerous case examples drawn from their years of practice with Asian, Caribbean, African American, and Hispanic clients, the authors: Describe proven techniques for assessing culturally diverse children, parents, and couples Develop a proven Multicultural/Multimodal/Multi-systems (Multi-CMS) approach to intervention Expose the cultural biases at the core of conventional mental health training Outline the major competencies needed to develop a trainee's multicultural skills and develop alternative approaches to clinical training