Multicultural Assessment Perspectives For Professional Psychology

Professional and clinical psychologists, counseling practitioners in related fields, and those involved in training mental health service providers will welcome this timely and important book. Reflecting the rapid increase in U.S. minority populations, it provides a comprehensive survey of assessment issues from an enlightened multicultural perspective. For the first time in one source, readers will find assessment issues related in a systematic way to the cultural experiences and world view of four major cultural/minority groups: African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans. The projected growth rate of several of these groups increases the likelihood that many practitioners will soon be providing services to clients in these groups if they are not already doing so. The book begins with an overview that discusses the nature of services provided to multicultural populations and the reasons for their underutilization. The goal of this book is to stimulate the awareness and provide the tools needed to develop cultural competence. Using the same frame of reference for each group, the author provides detailed descriptions of the world view shared by members of the group; their language, sense of identity, values and beliefs; and their perceptions about psychological disturbances, mental health services, and acceptable styles of service delivery. Throughout his analysis, he is careful to point out the differences within groups as well as those between groups. Having described the four major cultural groups, Dana goes on to discuss assessment issues, including the use of moderator variables to identify cultural orientation - which must be done before anytesting or intervention is attempted. He examines in detail an array of culture-specific tests and devices that provide information on the extent to which an original traditional culture has been retained, and/or the host Anglo American culture has been adopted by the individual. Dana reviews the strengths and limitations of all major tests of intelligence, psychopathology, and personality in terms of their usefulness with clients of various cultural origins and orientations. And he provides a model for practice that bridges the gap between the descriptions of cultures and tests and practical assessment procedures.