Cultural Competency in Psychological Assessment: Working Effectively With Latinx Populations

The Latinx population has experienced fast growth and is highly diverse, for example, in terms of immigration status, being born in the United States or other countries of origin, cultural variation, skin color, and language preference. Access to linguistically and culturally relevant services is crucial yet extremely limited. Assessment is an essential aspect of ethical mental health practice and has significant implications at the time it is conducted as well as in the future.

Cultural Competency in Psychological Assessment: Working Effectively with Latinx Populations focuses on the practical application of culturally informed assessment approaches with Latinx persons in mental health settings. Drs. Mercado and Venta discuss the mental health needs of the Latinx population and provide guidance on the best practices to use when working with this cultural group, such as incorporating cultural humility and cultural awareness in psychological assessments and using cultural clinical interview techniques. Latinx cultural values, cultural conceptualization, and clinical implications for working with Latinx patients are discussed at length.

Cultural Competency in Psychological Assessment also covers topics such as linguistic considerations, working with interpreters, dealing with prejudice and microaggressions, working with undocumented and immigrant clients including children, and recommendations for future research. This book is a resource of clinical utility for psychologists and other mental health practitioners working with the Latinx community as well as for graduate students in psychology and psychiatry residents.

Dr. Alfonso Mercado is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychological Science and Department of Psychiatry in the School of Medicine at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. He is a Licensed Psychologist and President of the Texas Psychological Association and APA's Committee on Rural Health. In 2019, Dr. Mercado was named Psychologist of the Year by the Texas Psychological Association for his research, and clinical and advocacy work with recently immigrated families along the U.S.-Mexico border. In 2021, he received the American Psychological Association Early Career Psychologist Achievement Award.

Dr. Amanda Venta is a Clinical Psychologist and Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Houston. Her primary research interests are the development of psychopathology in youth and the protective effect of attachment security, with a focus on the psychological functioning of recently immigrated adolescents from Central America. She has received research funding from the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities, the National Institutes of Mental Health, and the American Psychological Foundation. In 2016, she was designated as a Rising Star by the Association for Psychological Science, and in 2019 received the Outstanding Contribution to Science award from the Texas Psychological Association.