As schools in the U.S. continue to diversify, culturally responsive school-based practices have become even more crucial. School psychologists are in a unique position to provide mental health services to historically underserved populations; however little is known about how school psychologists are providing culturally responsive mental health interventions and if these interventions have an evidence-base. The utility and effectiveness of cultural adaptations to evidence-based interventions (EBIs) has been shown with culturally and linguistically diverse populations, and while many EBIs are being systematically adapted at a broad-scale level backed by research teams and numerous resources, many adaptations are likely taking place at the practice-based level of service delivery. To gather information on how school-based practitioners are implementing interventions with culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse youth and families, 1,000 randomly selected NASP members currently practicing in the schools were contacted for participation in our study. Mixed-methods data analyses using exploratory data analysis, descriptive statistical analysis, descriptive coding procedures, and correlational analysis, were utilized to examine factors involved in providing culturally responsive social, emotional, and behavioral interventions to diverse youth and families in school-based settings. Results indicate school psychologists are reporting mainly surface structure or presentation style adaptations, and few are reporting use of a model or framework to inform these adaptations. Few practitioners are reporting use of manualized EBIs in practice, but many are reporting use of evidence-based treatment components. Implications for school-based practitioners, and future areas of growth for the field of cultural adaptations are presented and discussed.

The second edition of the Handbook of Multicultural School Psychology continues the mission of its predecessor, offering a comprehensive, interdisciplinary view of the field of multicultural school psychology and addressing the needs of children and families from diverse cultural backgrounds. The revised organizational structure includes the following: History and Professional Issues; Consultation and Collaboration; Interventions Focused on Academic and Mental Health Issues; Data-based Decision Making; Systems-based Issues; Training and Research; and Future Perspectives. Nineteen of the volume's twenty-three chapters are completely new to this edition, while the rest have been effectively revised and updated. Comprehensive—In seven sections, this book covers theoretical, research, and practical concerns in a wide range of areas that include multicultural and bilingual issues, second language acquisition, acculturation, parent collaboration, research, and systemic issues. Chapter Structure—Chapter authors follow a uniform structure that includes theoretical and research issues and implications for practice. Recent practice and training guidelines including Blueprint for Training and Practice III (2006), NASP Model for Comprehensive and Integrated School Psychological Services (2010), and APA Multicultural Guidelines (2003) are covered. Interdisciplinary Perspective—Contributing authors are from a wide range of related fields that include school psychology, special education, general education, early childhood education, educational psychology, clinical psychology, counseling, and mental health, thus exposing readers to theory and research from various approaches. Changes—New to this edition is a section focusing on systemic issues such as overrepresentation of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students in special education, prejudice, response to intervention (RTI) for CLD students and English Language Learners (ELL), and end-of-chapter discussion questions. This book is ideal for graduate courses and seminars on multicultural school psychology. It is also a useful reference for researchers and practicing school psychologists and the libraries that serve them.

This multiauthored work brings together the scholarly and the clinical in its analysis of two separate yet inextricably linked endeavors in psychology: the cultural adaptation of existing interventions and the movement toward evidence-based practice (EBP). The unifying theoretical framework of this volume promotes culturally adapted EBPs as productive and empirically viable approaches to treating ethnic minorities and culturally diverse groups. Chapter authors describe cultural adaptations of conventional EBPs for a variety of psychological problems across a wide range of cultures and ethnicities -- Latino/as, Chinese, African Americans, and American Indians among them. Cultural Adaptations will appeal to clinicians who treat an ethnically and culturally diverse clientele, as well as to researchers, scholars, and students, who will value the conceptual and methodological discussions of evidence-based psychological practice and cultural adaptations of psychotherapeutic techniques.

School Social Work: An Evidence-Informed Framework for Practice offers school social work students and veteran practitioners a new framework for choosing their interventions based on the best available evidence. It is the first work that synthesizes the evidence-based practice (EBP) process with recent conceptual frameworks of school social work clinical practice offered by leading scholars and policymakers. Many other books on EBP try to fit empirically validated treatments into practice contexts without considering the multiple barriers to implementing evidence-based practices in places as complicated and multi-faceted as schools. Additionally, there are vital questions in the literature about what the best levels for intervention are in school social work. Responding to the complexity of applying EBP in schools, this volume offers a conceptual framework that addresses the real-world concerns of practitioners as they work to provide the best services to their school clients. For each domain of school social work practice, the authors critically review interventions, presenting the current research with guidelines for addressing such implementation issues as cost, school culture, adaptations for special populations, and negotiating multiple arenas of practice. In addition, the chapters are grounded in the process of evidence-based practice, illustrating how school practitioners can pose useful questions, search for relevant evidence, appraise the evidence, apply it in keeping with client values, and monitor the results. Written by four school social work scholars with over four decades of theoretical, research, and practice experience, this volume will be relevant to both research faculty studying school social work interventions and students learning about school social work practice.

Make a professional commitment to developing knowledge and awareness of your students' cultural differences. Multicultural Issues in School Psychology presents theoretical and empirical models that provide a framework for addressing cross-cultural concerns and introducing culturally specific services in school psychology practice. This unique book connects scientific knowledge with practical applications to address issues related to assessment, intervention, consultation, systems/community intervention, home-school partnerships, and the adoption of evidence-based interventions. The book also looks at the school psychologist’s role in multicultural practice and the implications for developing culturally competent practitioners. Thsi book provides much-needed practical guidance in theory development, research, training, policy, and practice. The books contributors, all active participants in the effort to develop multicultural perspectives and practices in schools, address the importance of an ecological perspective, the broad and varied definitions of culture, the involvement of stakeholders in decision making, innovative approaches to data collection and intervention design, and the reconsideration of the school psychologist’s role. Multicultural Issues in School Psychology examines: a mixed-methods technique for developing culturally sound assessment tools a culture-specific, peer victimization intervention for addressing the effects of bullying on middle school students the instructional needs of English language learners in non-bilingual settings an illustrative case study of Hmong parents in home-school partnerships various issues concerning multicultural interventions at a system level coding criteria for reviewing, evaluating, and identifying effective interventions and much more Multicultural Issues in School Psychology is an essential professional resource for counselors and researchers working in the field of adolescent health, particularly drug abuse, and for practicing psychologists, child clinical psychologists, and mental health professionals working in educational settings.

This multiauthored work brings together the scholarly and the clinical in its analysis of two separate yet inextricably linked endeavors in psychology: the cultural adaptation of existing interventions and the movement toward evidence-based practice (EBP). The unifying theoretical framework of this volume promotes culturally adapted EBPs as productive and empirically viable approaches to treating ethnic minorities and culturally diverse groups. Chapter authors describe cultural adaptations of conventional EBPs for a variety of psychological problems across a wide range of cultures and ethnicities -- Latino/as, Chinese, African Americans, and American Indians among them. Cultural Adaptations will appeal to clinicians who treat an ethnically and culturally diverse clientele, as well as to researchers, scholars, and students, who will value the conceptual and methodological discussions of evidence-based psychological practice and cultural adaptations of psychotherapeutic techniques.