Diversity and Psychological Assessment: A Fluid and Complex Experience

Multiculturalism and diversity continue to be an important topic in assessment as we strive to practice, supervise, and train in a culturally competent and humble way.  Embracing cultural humility is a lifelong practice and commitment.  How psychology looks at multiculturalism continues to evolve with society.  For example, the previous APA Guidelines (2003) defined multicultural“narrowly, to connote interactions between racial/ethnic groups” (p.11). The new APA multicultural guidelines (2017) made a valuable improvement by using an ecological approach and expanding the term multiculturalto “more fully-to consider it in its broadest conceptualization” which is to consider “contextual factors and intersectionality” (p. 8). Multicultural theories and guidelines open up our ways of thinking, understanding, and appreciating fluid and complex diversity factors; however, it can be difficult to effectively incorporate cultural topics in assessment teaching, supervision, and consultation.  In this discussion, we, as assessment instructors, supervisors, and practitioners, will assess, analyze, and apply how we incorporate these new guidelines into our work.  

Participants attending this workshop will be able to:

1.  Analyze the updated multicultural guidelines.

2.  Discuss ways to apply these guidelines to their assessment supervision and teaching.

3.  Assess the layered ecological model and how it applies to their work as assessment clinicians.  

4.  Describe at least three ways these guidelines apply to their assessment work.