Evidence-based Assessment Strategies for Working with Ethnic Minority Youth

Conducting comprehensive and culturally appropriate assessment in pediatric medical settings can be challenging. Previous systematic reviews of assessment measures have sought to develop criteria for considering a measure to be “evidence-based” (e.g., Cohen et al., 2008). These reviews have not, however, addressed the growing need for providers to integrate evidence-based assessment and cultural competency specifically when working with ethnic minority children and families. The present paper has the following aims: (a) to present a framework for conducting assessment with families from diverse cultural backgrounds, (b) to provide recommendations for the clinician who is selecting measures for use with cultural minority patients and families, and (c) to discuss the limitations of the existing literature in helping clinicians make these determinations and provide future directions for researchers and clinicians. Case examples are used to illustrate some of the challenges that clinicians face in this area.