The impact of the provider
This workshop focuses on the impact of the provider on affirming mental healthcare for LGBTQ+/POC including providers’ identities, characteristics and relevant clinical competencies. Materials include clinical competencies and training objectives, recommended readings, a PowerPoint presentation, relevant video segments, reflection questions, and other resources.
Clinical Competencies and Training Objectives:
- Provider acquiring adequate knowledge to properly understand the importance of LGBTQ+/POC salient identities and related cultural factors, and their impact on treatment.
- Providers affirming, destigmatizing and supporting LGBTQ+/POC unique cultural identities and their intersectionality.
- Importance for providers to be sensitive about, aware of, and understanding of how the role of the intersectionality of multiple identities uniquely defines the life experiences of LGBTQ+/POC individuals in regards to mental health and specific treatment needs.
- Create an environment that cultivates a safe, affirming and non-judgmental space.
- Providers’ awareness of their own salient cultural identities, intersectionality thereof, and ability to skillfully and sensitively share all/some of this information with their LGBTQ+/ POC clients to strengthen therapeutic alliance and create a safe therapeutic space (e.g., assess when and to what degree providers’ identity self-disclosures can be helpful in building rapport and establishing a therapeutic alliance).
- Providers’ awareness of how their unique identities may lead them to construed assumptions about or inaccurate preconceptions of their clients’ experiences.
- Usefulness of identifying and validating the intersectionality of LGBTQ+/POC clients’ unique identities and providers’ unique identities; integration of this knowledge in treatment planning and implementation.
- Attain an understanding of LGBTQ+/POC-specific cultural factors (e.g. client pronouns and culturally-preferred coping methods) and their influence on the client-therapist relationship and treatment trajectory.
- Identify and validate the associations a client may have with the provider’s identities.
- Assess when and to what degree provider identity disclosure can be helpful in building rapport and establishing a therapeutic alliance.
Recommended Readings:
- Bi, S., Gunter, K. E., López, F. Y., Anam, S., Tan, J. Y., Polin, D. J., Jia, J. L., Xu, L. J., Laiteerapong, N., Pho, M. T., Kim, K. E., & Chin, M. H. (2019). Improving shared decision making for Asian American Pacific Islander sexual and gender minorities. Medical Care, 57(12), 937–944. https://doi.org/10.1097/MLR.0000000000001212
- Dadlani, M. B., Overtree, C., & Perry-Jenkins, M. (2012). Culture at the center: A reformulation of diagnostic assessment. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 43(3), 175–182. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0028152
- Moore, K. L., Lopez, L., Camacho, D., & Munson, M. R. (2020). A qualitative investigation of engagement in mental health services among Black and Hispanic LGB young adults. Psychiatric Services, 71(6), 555-561.
- Mosher, D. K., Hook, J. N., Captari, L. E., Davis, D. E., DeBlaere, C., & Owen, J. (2017). Cultural humility: A therapeutic framework for engaging diverse clients. Practice Innovations, 2(4), 221–233. https://doi.org/10.1037/pri0000055
- Tervalon, M. & Murray-Garcia, J. (1998). Cultural humility versus cultural competence: A critical distinction in defining physician training outcomes in multicultural education. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 9(2). 117-125. https://melanietervalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/CulturalHumility_Tervalon-and-Murray-Garcia-Article.pdf
Corresponding PowerPoint Presentation: Creating an LGBTQ+ Affirming Environment
Recommended Video Segments:
Segment: Adverse & Affirming Experiences(minute 21:38 - 1:03:45)
Interviewees discuss adverse and affirming experiences related to their sexual/gender/racial/ethnic identities and their intersections.
Reflection Questions:
What identities are most important and salient to you?
How comfortable are you with sharing your identities with your clients?
What are the pros and cons of sharing your identities with your clients?
How may your intersecting identities interact with your client’s interacting identities, and impact treatment?
What additional knowledge and growth points are needed to provide culturally sensitive and affirming care to LGBTQ+/POC?
Other Relevant Resources:
Focus on Forms and Policy: Creating an Inclusive Environment for LGBT Patients
LGBTQ+/POC Seeking Affirming Providers: Questions to be familiar with