CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS IN COMMUNITY-HEALTH CENTERS - DOES THE ETHNICITY OR THE LANGUAGE OF THE THERAPIST MATTER

In order to test the influence of therapist's ethnicity and language o n the course of treatment for children and adolescents, this study inv estigated the effect of language and ethnic therapist-client match on the mental health treatment of thousands of Asian-American, Mexican-Am erican, African-American, and Caucasian-American children and adolesce nts in the Los Angeles County Mental Health System. Conclusive support for the cultural responsiveness hypothesis for children was not found , but some validity for the hypothesis among adolescents was found. Et hnic match was a significant predictor of Mexican and Asian adolescent dropout after one session and total number of sessions, as well as Af rican adolescent dropout after one session. When language match was ad ded to the model for Mexican adolescents, language match was a signifi cant predictor of dropout after one session and total number of sessio ns, whereas ethnic match was no longer a significant predictor. Howeve r, when language match was added to the model for Asian adolescents, l anguage match was not a significant predictor of dropout after one ses sion or total number of sessions, whereas ethnic match remained a sign ificant predictor for both variables. Implications of these findings a re discussed.