Though eating disorders affect people from various ethnic/racial backgrounds, current evidence-based treatments (EBTs) for eating disorders (e.g., Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Family-Based Treatment) have been primarily validated in samples of Caucasian, young adult women. Culture, context, and language are essential considerations for culturally competent care. The demographic population of the United States has been shifting for the last several years and within 20 years, it is expected that the country will become a majority-minority nation. Thus, the probability to encounter clients/patients from diverse ethnic/racial backgrounds in our clinical practice is high. How can we provide culturally-sensitive treatment for members of diverse populations? Should clinicians use the EBTs that are available in the field to treat patients from other ethnic/racial backgrounds even if they have not been validated in that population?
The aims of this webinar are: a) to discuss cultural values and other relevant factors that should be taken into consideration when working with diverse populations; b) cultural adaptations that have been suggested for minority populations, particularly Latinos and African Americans; and c) challenges (e.g., engagement, retention) that you might encounter when working with diverse populations.
Speakers:
Mae Lynn Reyes-Rodriguez, PhD
Associate Clinical Professor, Psychiatry Department, UNC – Chapel Hill
Dr. Reyes-Rodriguez is an Associate Clinical Professor in Psychiatry Department and at the Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders (CEED) at UNC-Chapel Hill. She is AED member and content expert on Latino and Underrepresented Population for the National Center of Excellence for Eating Disorder (NCEED). She is a bilingual (English/Spanish) licensed clinical psychologist in North Carolina offering outpatient treatment for eating disorders, depression, anxiety and other emotional life distress issues. Her primary expertise is providing culturally sensitive interventions for Latino populations but also has experience working with patients from diverse cultural, race/ethnicity and sexual orientation backgrounds. The focus of her research is on the development of culturally appropriate interventions for Latinas with eating disorders with a specific emphasis on developmentally and culturally appropriate incorporation of family members into treatment. Her current work builds on her experience working with adults with bulimia nervosa in Puerto Rico which underscored the importance of incorporating the family early in treatment as a necessary cultural adaptation for Latinas.
Rachel W. Good, PhD
Rachel W. Goode is an Assistant Professor at the School of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Goode received her PhD, MPH, and MSW from the University of Pittsburgh. Her research focuses on the development, implementation, and evaluation of interventions to prevent and treat disordered eating and obesity among women of color. Most recently, Dr. Goode’s research has focused on evaluating Appetite Awareness Training as an intervention to treat binge eating and prevent weight gain in African-American women in primary care. Dr. Goode is also a licensed clinical social worker, and has practice experience with the treatment of eating disorders and obesity among clients in university counseling centers, and community-based mental health agencies.
