Developing competency with White identity and privilege.

Abstract

(from the chapter) This chapter addresses the audience of mental health practitioners, students, educators, trainers, and supervisors with suggestions, guidelines, and resources for working, teaching, and training in the area of White privilege and White identity. This chapter focuses on knowledge, self-awareness, and skills gained by White students or mental health workers about themselves, rather than focusing more directly on the experience of the client. Mental health trainees and professionals of color or international colleagues and trainees may find this chapter helpful in their experiences as trainers, supervisors, and colleagues of White mental health trainees and professionals. As mental health professionals increase their own knowledge and self-awareness, they can translate this learning into better multicultural skills with diverse clients and trainees. Suggested competencies for practicum, internship, entry into professional practice, and advanced/specialization levels in terms of the essential components of knowledge, skills, and values and attitudes are provided in Tables 15.1 through 15.4 at the end of this chapter. This can be a very difficult area for educators, trainers, or supervisors to tackle in class or other training arenas and key issues that make this true will be reviewed in detail. Vignettes are provided for discussion purposes. The work on White privilege highlighted in this chapter is a step that White people must take in meeting the criteria for true Multicultural Counseling Competency. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)