ADDRESSING Diversity: Clinical Assessment and Outcomes in a Psychology Training Clinic

Assessment of client diversity can be a complex process, particularly for trainee therapists. Utilization of existing frameworks, such as ADDRESSING (Hays, 2016), can structure students' attention toward diversity factors when conducting psychological assessments. In addition, coding of demographic data is helpful to examine the relationship of diversity factors to engagement in services. The Client Information Form (CIF) from a university-based psychology training clinic was reviewed for fit with the ADDRESSING framework. Demographic data was coded according to the ADDRESSING framework. Binary logistic regressions were conducted to analyze relationships between ADDRESSING characteristics and participation in treatment. The original CIF contained 6 of the 9 ADDRESSING characteristics. Demographic data indicated the clinic population was 68% female, 76% Caucasian, 77% heterosexual, and 54% college-aged. As a whole, the clinic population was more diverse than the surrounding city and state but less diverse than the U.S. population. Analyses indicated that non-Caucasians were more likely to discontinue treatment prematurely; however, no differences between groups were noted to entry to clinic for assessment and starting treatment after assessment by diversity characteristic. Revisions to the CIF to better capture socioeconomic status and diversity characteristics are proposed. This work serves to highlight potential diversity factors that may influence treatment engagement, such that these factors can be appropriately addressed by clinicians. In addition, training clinics may benefit from a better understanding of their overall clinic population as access to diverse clients benefits student training and potential barriers to care may be identified.