Examining Multicultural Competence and Overall Satisfaction and Effectiveness in Clinical Superviso

Multicultural competency is becoming increasingly significant within the counseling profession (Lee, 2014). Supervisors must be multiculturally competent to provide effective supervision as well as counselors to provide effective services. Clients have heightened levels of comfort with counselors when they are knowledgeable about their cultural background (Lee & Park 2013; Lee 2014). Supervisors who demonstrate cultural competency or an attempt to understand the cultural background of their supervisees are more effective in supervision (Crockett & Hays, 2015). Although multicultural research has examined client and counselor interactions, there is an absence of empirical research regarding interactions within supervision literature and, in particular that of rehabilitation counselor supervision. This study examined the relationship between multicultural competence and satisfaction/effectiveness in clinical supervision as reported by rehabilitation counselors and supervisors. Supervisors had significantly higher scores on the two MSI subscales (Fostering Multicultural Competence and Culturally Sensitive Collaboration). The results of two-way MANOVA also revealed statistically significant main effect differences on the two MSI subscales for self-reported multicultural confidence, knowledge and competence. A significant disordinal interaction existed for the Culturally Sensitive Collaboration subscale score when examined by position (supervisor or counselor) and years of experience. Counselors' perceptions regarding the supervision they received were influenced by three predictor variables of race/ethnicity, MSI score and perceived impact of supervision received on the counselor's professional development. Gender, having participated in multicultural training, years of experience and score on the Personal Reaction Inventory were not statistically significant in the regression analysis.