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Experience of non-Latina/o mental health clinicians providing services in Spanish
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Braman, Daniel. Experience of non-Latina/o mental health clinicians providing services in Spanish. Retrieved from https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/T36H4KGZ

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TitleExperience of non-Latina/o mental health clinicians providing services in Spanish
NameBraman, Daniel (author); Guarnaccia, Peter (chair); Sass, Louis (internal member); Rutgers University; Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology
Date Created2016
Other Date2016-01 (degree)
SubjectClinical Psychology, Mental health services, Hispanic Americans--Mental health
Extent1 online resource (viii, 181 p.)
DescriptionThis study explored the training and experience of 12 bilingual non-Latina/o mental health providers working with Spanish-speaking clients. Participants included 8 psychologists, 2 social workers, and 2 clinical psychology doctoral candidates with a minimum of one and a half years of experience providing Spanish-language services. The present study explored clinicians’ methods of developing competency providing clinical services in Spanish and their experience working with Spanish-speaking clients. Interviews were analyzed using elements of grounded theory, constant comparison and memo-writing, to reveal common themes and concepts. Key themes included: lack of formal training to provide services in Spanish; little if any institutional support for Spanish-speaking clinicians; increased energy required when working in Spanish; a sense of isolation; and the importance of flexibility, genuineness, and openness when engaging with Spanish-speaking clients. The scarcity of Spanish-speaking clinicians, particularly supervisors, was found to exacerbate the challenges faced by Spanish-speaking clinicians due to less training and fewer opportunities for consultation. The complexities of providing clinical services to Spanish monolingual and bilingual clients requires significant effort to attend to linguistic factors such as code-switching. Participants recommended training regarding Latin American history and culture, as well as courses on therapy in Spanish, and language-focused classes to assist in developing linguistic and cultural proficiency. Recommendations include increased hiring of both Spanish- speaking clinicians and Spanish-speaking support staff in clinics; need for training programs to provide Spanish-language learning resources, supervision, and training materials; and development of a clearinghouse of Spanish-language clinical forms to increase accuracy and availability of Spanish language forms. Development of a professional network connecting Spanish-speaking clinicians in the US would provide much needed opportunities for consultation and reflection on the experience of providing clinical services in Spanish. Most important for clinicians is cultivating an openness to learn about oneself, one’s clients, and, when uncertain about a linguistic or cultural exchange, to seek greater understanding through dialogue. This study further illustrates the significant need for increased support for Spanish-speaking clinicians throughout the mental health field, including training programs and mental health clinics.
NotePsy.D.
NoteIncludes bibliographical references
Noteby Daniel Braman
Genretheses, ETD doctoral
Persistent URLhttps://doi.org/doi:10.7282/T36H4KGZ
Languageeng
CollectionGraduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Organization NameRutgers, The State University of New Jersey
RightsThe author owns the copyright to this work.
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