Cultural Humility with Religious and Spiritually Diverse Women of Color Clients: A Psychometric Analysis

Cultural humility, as part of a therapist’s multicultural orientation, can help facilitate a strong working alliance with clients across diverse cultural backgrounds. Given that little research has attended to how the intersections of race/ethnicity, gender, and religion/spirituality (R/S) influence counseling dyads, we tested the factor structure and provided evidence for the reliability and construct validity of the Cultural Humility Scale (CHS) with a sample of R/S diverse women of color ( N = 288). To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine the factor structure of the CHS with such a sample. We utilized a confirmatory factor analysis that revealed the original theoretical model and two-factor structure of the CHS yielded acceptable fit to the data and all items significantly loaded on their respective factors. Moreover, CHS scores had strong positive associations with client perceptions of therapists’ multicultural competencies and feminist orientation. No mean differences in perceptions of therapist cultural humility were found by R/S or racial/ethnic identity. Implications for research, theory, and clinical practice are discussed.

Therapists' Perceptions of Application and Implementation of AM-PAC “6-Clicks” Functional Measures in Acute Care: Qualitative Study

Background Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care (AM-PAC) “6-Clicks” tools are functional measures used in acute care. No studies have identified reactions and perceptions of therapists in implementing these measures. Objectives The purpose of this study was to explore therapists' perceptions regarding the application and implementation of AM-PAC “6-Clicks” tools. Design This study used a qualitative design with thematic analysis. Methods A convenience sample of 13 physical therapists and occupational therapists participated in semistructured telephone interviews. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded, after which thematic analysis was used to determine common themes. Results Five themes were identified: (1) unclear purpose, (2) lack of confidence in scoring, (3) too simple for decision making or generalizing patient function, (4) no effect on clinical routine, and (5) potential for communicating patient function across disciplines. Limitations Participants came from one health care system. A relatively small percentage of staff agreed to participate in this study, and additional interviews might have revealed new themes. Conclusions As participants in this study implemented the AM-PAC “6-Clicks” tools, they considered the role of the measures, how they fit within the context of practice, and their value. They also were concerned with the accuracy and feasibility of the tools. The tools were accepted as potentially valuable to assist administrative decisions and research; however, they were not perceived as particularly useful for routine patient care. Participants lacked complete confidence in the reliability of their scoring and expressed concern that the scores might be substituted for their clinical decision making. They also felt that the tools were too simple to fully reflect patients' overall function and were not useful alone for discharge planning. Participants believed the tools had the potential to be used for communication among colleagues about patients' physical function.

Therapists’ Perceptions of Their Encounter With Sex Offenders

Despite the increasing interest in therapists’ responses to their encounter with sex offenders, there is a lack of research on their subjective perceptions of this encounter and on their experience working with this client population. The study presented in this article is part of a larger qualitative research project conducted among 19 social workers (12 were women and 7 were men; their ages ranged from 30 to 66 years; 15 of them were Jewish and 4 were Arab). In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted to examine their attitudes toward and perceptions of their encounter with sex offenders. The questions related to the therapists’ perceptions regarding motives for committing sex offenses, therapists’ perceptions of sex offenders, therapists’ perceptions of the victims of sex offenders, and therapists’ perceptions of the nature of their professional role. In this article, emphasis is placed on the development and changes of the therapists’ perceptions following that encounter. The following five major domains of perceptions were revealed in the study: Therapists’ perceptions of the offenders’ personal motives for committing sex offenses, therapists’ perceptions of sex offenders, therapists’ perceptions of the experience of victimization, the process of changing perceptions, and the nature of the therapists’ role. The results are discussed in light of Ajzen’s conceptualization of the process of acquiring beliefs. The limitations of the study as well as its implications for future research and for shaping the perceptions of therapists toward sex offenders are discussed.