Suarez, Y. B., Durlack, J. A., & Smith, C. (1994). Multicultural training practices in community psychology programs. American Journal of Community Psychology, 22(6), 785-799.
The purpose of this study was to obtain information on the topic of multicultural training practices in community psychology programs, by surveying the directors of these programs. The focus for this study included one aspect of diversity, issues related to the training of all students, to work effectively with nonwhite populations, or multicultural training.
The study begins with a statement that community psychologists are advocates of cultural diversity, referring to the differences that exist among people including cultural and ethnic, race, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, and physical or sensory impairment. Multicultural training in viewed as involving an understanding of all cultures.
One of the seven American Psychological Associations' accreditation criteria for clinical and counseling programs requires programs to promote respect and training on ethnic, cultural, and individual differences. Programs are also to recruit faculty and students from diverse ethnic groups. Findings from a literature review are, that psychology programs are not adequately preparing graduate students to work effectively with minority populations, and are not responding successfully to the needs of students of color.
A 1992 survey of counseling and clinical psychology programs provided evidence, that programs with at least one course focusing on multicultural issues (87 percent), may not always require their students to take the course (59 percent require course). A 1994 survey reported that many clinical programs failed to train students on multicultural issues or multicultural populations. A 1994 survey of graduate students revealed, 34.4 percent felt that supervision focusing on services to diverse populations was inadequate; very few responden...