Developing cultural competency for providing psychological services with immigrant populations: A cross-level training curriculum.

Abstract

Immigrants represent a numerous, and substantially underserved, community of over 44 million people in the U.S., including 700,000 recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program (Batalova et al., 2020). Opportunities for competency training in professional psychology to serve this community, however, are scarce, both within doctoral training programs and professional development contexts (American Psychological Association [APA], 2012; Benuto et al., 2018). This article reports the results of a study assessing the impact of a 3-part web-based training series that targeted several Foundational and Functional Competency Domains as outlined by Fouad et al. (2009). Pretest assessments of 1,327 participants revealed limitations in the domains of knowledge and awareness of cultural competencies for working with immigrants. Those who completed the posttest assessments following each of the three Webinars showed significant increases in competency domains based on paired-sample t-tests. Repeated measures mixed-design analyses of variance tested the moderating effects of demographic characteristics (i.e., race, ethnicity, gender), level of training, career stage, or prior experience working with immigrants on these increases in cultural competence. Results provide valuable information regarding targeted subgroups within the larger sample. Subsequent follow-up assessments on a narrower number of participants supported the continuing impact of the trainings over time. Results are discussed in relation to the critical role of evidence-based training that targets immigrant populations in the midst of global sociopolitical and immigration challenges, and how these may inform competency training in a graduate program and professional development contexts.

Social justice activism and critical agency among undocumented students: Coping mediators between discrimination and depression.

“…Given the strong link between everyday discrimination and symptoms of depression, it would be beneficial for undocumented students to engage in psychological services that provide support to discuss these concerns. Chung et al (2008) provided recommendations for mental health practices that are affirming of social justice among immigrants, and Cadenas et al (2020) offered a guide for providers to respond to shifting immigration policies (e.g., precarity of the DACA program). Furthermore, counseling and psychological service providers may wish to center their intervention strategies on fostering outlets for undocumented students to develop critical agency, as this variable was predictive of lower depression.…”

Strengths and Resilience Among Central American Parents Seeking Asylum in the United States

“…Therefore, a goal of this study was to give these individuals a voice and record their stories to reveal not only the many hardships they have overcome but also their sources of strength and resilience. Psychologists and other mental health providers can better support the immigrant population when they consider their characteristics and circumstances (Cadenas et al, 2022; Garcini et al, 2022; Peña-Sullivan, 2020). Mental health professionals could use the knowledge derived from this study to provide culturally appropriate mental health services that address immigrants’ distinct needs while acknowledging their remarkable strengths and capacity for resilience (Robles et al, 2020).…”

The effect of mobile‐assisted learning in real language attainment: A systematic review

“…Interestingly, cultural competency is the most studied aspect by scholars regarding not the migrant subgroups, but the professional (educators and health care) needs in order to understand, examine and comprehend the differences of each group and the ethnic specificities related (Cadenas et al, 2022; Fong, 2004; Maleku & Aguirre, 2014; Ojeda et al, 2011). Still, the professional needs are impairing the cultural and language needs of individuals recently arrived into a country.…”