Bridging the gap: A cross-cultural examination of PCIT training experiences across Black, White, Asian, and Multiracial clinicians

Felipa T Chavez^1*Kaela Farrise Beauvoir²Eyram Agbeli³Sierra Coffey³Emily Aron⁴Erica E Coates^4*

• ¹Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, United States
• ²Clinical and School Psychology, University of California-Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States
• ³Department of Psychology, Georgetown College, Georgetown University, Washington DC, District of Columbia, United States
• ⁴Department of Psychiatry, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC, United States

Introduction: Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is a strongly evidence-based treatment (EBT) for disruptive behaviors in young children. However, PCIT research with Black families has identified notable disparities particularly with regard to more frequent and earlier attrition from treatment and disparate outcomes. Prominent etiological explanations lie in PCIT's perception as a Eurocentric treatment embedded within discriminatory systems and, therefore, unable to meet Black families' unique cultural needs. The present study sought to better understand the training experiences of PCIT clinicians broadly, and with a specific eye towards illuminating the cultural congruence and incongruence of PCIT training towardswith the goal of serving Black families.Methods: A racially diverse (Black n=10; White n=8; Asian n=2; multiracial n=2) sample of PCIT clinicians (n=22) was interviewed using a structured interview protocol. Transcripts from the virtual interviews were analyzed by a 4-person coding team using thematic analysis with both inductive and deductive code development. Clinicians were also administered a modified measure of self-perceived provider cultural competence (PCC; Saha et al., 2013). Independent samples t-tests were performed to compare perceptions of PCCcultural competence among various racial groupings.Results: Several themes were identified including a corroboration by clinicians across racial groups of higher attrition among Black families in PCIT treatment, regarding perceptions of high-quality but very White-normed training experiences, the need for more Black PCIT clinicians, and inadequate preparation for tailoring PCIT towards Black families. Additionally, while other research suggests that Black clinicians reported feeling adept at culturally interpreting certain PCIT language and larger concepts they deemed inappropriate for servicing Black families (Coates et. al., 2024), current findings suggest that both White and Asian American clinicians reported less confidence in knowing how to address the unique needs of Black families with PCIT. Quantitatively, significant differences were found in the level of perceived PCCcultural competence between White and non-White clinicians.Discussion: Overall, this study highlights areas for growth in PCITthe training of PCIT and the development of a diverse body of PCIT clinicians able to meet the needs of Blackmulticultural families. Implications for clinical training development and implementation, as well as clinician recruitment and retention, are discussed..