Abstract
The purpose of this dissertation was to determine the predictors of self-perceived cultural competence in children's mental health providers. This study further sought to qualitatively determine what providers felt were the essential issues relevant to providing culturally competent services as well as how providers ensured culturally competent service provision. The sample (N = 371) included children's mental health providers, solicited through nationwide professional listservs. Participants completed a web-based survey that included a demographic questionnaire, open-ended questions, and items related to their racial attitudes, cultural beliefs, values, and practices. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to determine the predictive capability of racial attitudes (Color-Blind Racial Attitudes Scale: Neville et al., 2000), cultural values (Individualism/Collectivism Scale; Triandis & Gelfand, 1998), ethnic identity (Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure-Revised; Phinney & Ong, 2007), and acculturation (Stephenson Multigroup Acculturation Scale; Stephenson, 2000) on four domains of self-perceived cultural competence (California Brief Multicultural Competence Scale; Gamst et al., 2004). Four statistically significant models emerged from the quantitative data with adjusted R2 values ranging from .10 to .46. Ethnic identity surfaced as a predictor in all four models. Racial attitudes and cultural values made significant contributions to three models. Acculturation served as a predictor in one model. Analysis of the qualitative data revealed "awareness" and "openness" as essential issues to providing culturally competent children's mental health services. Providers identified "responsiveness" and "consultation/supervision" as ways to ensure culturally appropriate services. Study findings support the hypotheses regarding the expected predictive qualities of cultural characteristics on mental health provider's self-perceived cultural competence and have important clinical implications. Increased cultural competence in children's mental health providers may serve to reduce institutional barriers to mental health service utilization thereby reducing disparity among ethnically diverse children and their families.