Abstract:
Due to increasing pressures to meet the health care needs of the LGBTQ community, further inquiry is needed to understand how the helping professions (i.e. psychology, social work, nursing) may be preparing future clinicians to work competently with diverse populations. The Safe Zone (SZ) Ally Training Program is a three-hour, campus-based diversity training program designed to increase awareness of and competence in working with LGBTQ individuals and the issues that impact them. SZ could serve as a useful tool for introducing students and faculty to basic cultural competencies in this area. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of SZ training among clinical training programs. This study recruited 129 students and faculty from psychology, social work, and nursing programs to: 1) Determine the effects of the SZ training program on attitudes, knowledge, and understanding regarding LGBTQ individuals and issues; 2) Investigate the implications of SZ training for feelings of competency and preparedness in working with the LGBTQ community; and 3) Compare responses to SZ training across various demographic variables, including clinical training program. The main analyses were conducted using repeated-measures MANOVA and multiple regression. The results of these analyses were shown to support the a-priori hypotheses. Overall, the SZ Ally Training Program was evidenced to be beneficial in improving knowledge, understanding, and attitudes regarding the LGBTQ community. Most notably, the findings of this study suggest that basic cultural information attained through the SZ program may lead to greater self-efficacy to provide culturally competent services to this population.
