Multicultural Environments of Academic Versus Internship Training Programs: Lessons to Be Learned

Abstract

Psychology training programs have a responsibility to train multiculturally competent psychologists. Predoctoral interns were surveyed to compare the multicultural environment of academic and internship programs. Internship programs were perceived as more multicultural than were academic programs. Factors contributing to differences are examined, and suggestions are made for improving multicultural environments in training.Los programas de formación en psicología tienen la responsabilidad de formar psicólogos competentes multiculturalmente. Se entrevistó a interinos predoctorales para comparar el ambiente multicultural de sus programas académicos y de interinidad. Se percibió que los programas de interinidad eran más multiculturales que los programas académicos. Se examinan los factores que contribuyen a estas diferencias, y se ofrecen sugerencias para mejorar los ambientes multiculturales en la formación.

Student perceptions of multicultural training and program climate in clinical psychology doctoral programs.

“…The MEI-R is a 27-item self-report inventory that assessed (a) students’ perceptions of how well multicultural issues are addressed in important aspects of clinical training and (b) students’ perceptions of program climate. The original MEI was developed for use in counseling psychology programs (Pope-Davis et al, 2000) and the measure has been revised for use in clinical psychology graduate programs and predoctoral internship programs (Peters et al, 2011). The revised version was used in the current study.…”

“…Another way in which programs can identify and meet student multicultural training needs is by assessing program diversity climate and multicultural training effectiveness (Peters et al, 2011). Ongoing evaluation provides a mechanism for feedback at the individual and programmatic level and helps to ensure programs are following SoA regulations.…”

“…Historically, graduate level psychology trainees have also reported feeling dissatisfied with the degree of faculty diversity and overall lack of leadership and support with regard to multicultural issues (Constantine, Ladany, Inman, & Ponterotto, 1996) and unprepared to work effectively with underrepresented populations (Toia, Herron, Primavera, & Javier, 1997). More recently, one survey of predoctoral clinical psychology interns compared their perceptions of multicultural training on internship to what was provided in their graduate programs (Peters et al, 2011). Results indicated that interns generally perceived their internship as more strongly addressing multicultural issues in curriculum and supervision, providing a safer and more comfortable environment, and being more open about programmatic struggles than their graduate programs.…”

Teaching effectiveness of non-native English-speaking teachers in business disciplines: intercultural communication apprehension and ethnocentrism

“…Pedagogy is a multifaceted form of organised cultural activity that operates at multiple levels (Compernolle & Williams, 2013), and a multicultural educational environment fosters and requires multicultural competencies (Arredondo et al, 1996;Constantine, 2001;Lefley & Bestman, 1991;Peters et al, 2011;Sue, Arredondo, & McDavis, 1992). NNEST are academics who were born overseas and completed their primary, secondary and tertiary education in foreign countries.…”

Stigma of mental illness and multicultural counseling self-efficacy : investigating the implications of the multicultural training environment, mental health literacy, and empathy.

“…These program elements include curriculum and supervision, climate and comfort, honesty in recruitment, and multicultural research areas of focus, as assessed by the Multicultural Environmental Inventory-Revised (MEI-R; Pope- . The MEI-R was designed to assess students' perceptions of these multicultural program elements, grounded in the theory that therapists are influenced by the multicultural environment of their graduate training programs, and that the daily practices of these programs contribute to or detract from a program's stated commitment to multiculturalism (Peters et al, 2011 (Comstock et al, 2008).…”