Recruiting and training multilingual family therapists: A content analysis of COAMFTE‐accredited marriage and family therapy program websites

Abstract

Among U. S. Limited English Proficiency (LEP) communities, language needs and preferences create significant barriers to accessing quality healthcare and contribute to growing physical and mental health disparities. To mitigate these barriers, it is critical to recruit and train a new generation of linguistically diverse providers, including marriage and family therapists (MFTs). This study examined how Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) program website content promotes a commitment to recruiting and training multilingual MFTs. The study sample consisted of all currently accredited programs (N = 122) and included coding for the presence or absence of (a) an explicit commitment to multiculturally and linguistically informed training, (b) specialized multilingual training and supports, and (c) multilingual faculty involved in training multilingual students or engaged in related scholarship. Results indicate that a majority of MFT programs are communicating a commitment to multiculturally informed training, but the same is not true of linguistically responsive training.

Provider, Heal Thy System: An Examination of Institutionally Racist Healthcare Regulatory Practices and Structures

“…The lack of racial and ethnic diversity in Marriage and Family Therapy, and by virtue of that discipline, the lexicon and theories of Medical Family Therapy, is not a recent or new concern. Mental health scholars and professionals have long called attention to the need for a diverse and culturally responsive workforce (e.g., Bocanegra et al, 2015;Bocanegra et al, 2016;Brunson et al, 2010;Lebensohn-Chialvo et al, 2021;Peters et al, 2014;Weng & Gray, 2017). These calls to action focus on addressing admissions requirements, incorporating social justice into coursework and program missions, recruiting more diverse students and faculty, and reducing the financial burden of pursuing a mental health graduate degree (Bocanegra et al, 2015(Bocanegra et al, , 2016Peters et al, 2014;Weng & Gray, 2017).…”