José Rubén Parra-Cardona

Community-Based Applied Research With Latino Immigrant Families: Informing Practice and Research According to Ethical and Social Justice Principles

This manuscript describes the implementation of two community-based programs of research with Latino immigrant populations exposed to intense contextual challenges. We provide background on our program of research and specific implementation of an evidence-based parenting intervention. We also describe how our research efforts were seriously affected by immigration-related events such as the ICE raids in Utah and a history of discrimination and exclusion affecting Latino immigrants in Michigan. These external political and social challenges have affected the very core principles of our efforts to implement community-based approaches. The current manuscript describes key lessons that we have learned in this process. Finally, reflections for research, practice, and social policy are included.

Diversity, Social Justice, and Intersectionality Trends in C/MFT: A Content Analysis of Three Family Therapy Journals, 2004–2011

In this study, we analyzed the amount of attention given to diversity, social justice, and an intersectional approach to social inequalities over an 8-year period (769 articles) in three family therapy journals. Overall, 28.1% of articles addressed at least one diversity issue, and a social justice framework was utilized in 48.1% of diversity articles. A systemic, intersectional approach to conceptualizing and analyzing multiple social inequalities was utilized in 17.6% of diversity articles. The most common goals addressed in diversity articles, articles using a social justice framework, and articles using an intersectional approach are also identified. Findings indicate that, despite important work being carried out, more work remains to further identify how addressing diversity issues can improve client outcomes.

Different Strokes for Different Folks? Contrasting Approaches to Cultural Adaptation of Parenting Interventions

Relevant achievements have been accomplished in prevention science with regard to disseminating efficacious parenting interventions among underserved populations. However, widespread disparities in availability of parenting services continue to negatively impact diverse populations in high-income countries (e.g., the USA) and low- and middle-income countries. As a result, a scholarly debate on cultural adaptation has evolved over the years. Specifically, some scholars have argued that in diverse cultural contexts, existing evidence-based parenting interventions should be delivered with strict fidelity to ensure effectiveness. Others have emphasized the need for cultural adaptations of interventions when disseminated among diverse populations. In this paper, we propose that discussions on cultural adaptation should be conceptualized as a “both-and,” rather than an “either-or” process. To justify this stance, we describe three distinct parenting intervention projects to illustrate how cultural adaptation and efficacy of evidence-based interventions can be achieved using contrasting approaches and frameworks, depending on cultural preferences and available resources of local contexts. Further, we suggest the need to develop guidelines for consistent reporting of cultural adaptation procedures as a critical component of future investigations. This discussion is relevant for the broader public health field and prevention science.

“En el Grupo Tomas Conciencia (In Group You Become Aware)” Latino Immigrants’ Satisfaction With a Culturally Informed Intervention for Men Who Batter

Qualitative interviews were conducted with 21 Latino immigrant men who participated in a culturally informed batterer intervention. The objectives of this investigation were twofold. First, to identify the treatment components that facilitated the participants’ willingness to engage in a process of change aimed at terminating their abusive behaviors. Second, to describe the treatment components that led to their satisfaction with the intervention. Research findings confirm that the Spanish version of the Duluth curriculum can be beneficial for Latino immigrant batterers. Results also demonstrate the critical role of culture as it refers to content of the intervention and method of delivery.

A Balancing Act: Integrating Evidence‐Based Knowledge and Cultural Relevance in a Program of Prevention Parenting Research with Latino/a Immigrants

Family therapists have a unique opportunity to contribute toward the reduction of widespread mental health disparities impacting diverse populations by developing applied lines of research focused on cultural adaptation. For example, although evidence-based prevention parent training (PT) interventions have been found to be efficacious with various Euro-American populations, there is a pressing need to understand which specific components of PT interventions are perceived by ethnic minority parents as having the highest impact on their parenting practices. Equally important is to examine the perceived cultural relevance of adapted PT interventions. This qualitative investigation had the primary objective of comparing and contrasting the perceived relevance of two culturally adapted versions of the efficacious parenting intervention known as Parent Management Training, the Oregon Model (PMTO). According to feasibility indicators provided by 112 Latino/a immigrant parents, as well as findings from a qualitative thematic analysis, the core parenting components across both adapted interventions were identified by the majority of research participants as relevant to their parenting practices. Participants exposed to the culturally enhanced intervention, which included culture-specific sessions, also reported high satisfaction with components exclusively focused on cultural issues that directly impact their parenting practices (e.g., immigration challenges, biculturalism). This investigation illustrates the relevant contributions that family therapy scholars can offer toward addressing mental health disparities, particularly as it refers to developing community-based prevention interventions that achieve a balance between evidence-based knowledge and cultural relevance.

“Changing for My Kid”: Fatherhood Experiences of Mexican‐Origin Teen Fathers Involved in the Justice System

A descriptive phenomenological study was conducted with six adolescent fathers of Mexican origin on juvenile probation for a variety of serious offenses. All participants successfully completed a parenting program designed especially for teen fathers. In a series of consecutive in-depth interviews, teen fathers were asked to discuss their experiences as fathers. Four phenomena were identified from the data: (a) not giving up and deciding to be a dad, (b) figuring out my relationships after becoming a father, (c) wanting to be a good father, and (d) wanting to be Brown and a father. Findings challenge negative stereotypes associated with Mexican-origin teen fathers engaged in delinquent behaviors and describe the ways in which fatherhood became an important positive motivator in the lives of participants.

Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence and Associated Risk Factors Among Latinos/as: An Exploratory Study With Three Latino Subpopulations

This study seeks to contribute to the limited literature on intimate partner violence (IPV) with Latino populations by analyzing national estimates of prevalence of and risk factors for IPV across the three largest Latino subgroups: Cuban-Origin, Mexican-Origin, and Puerto Ricans. Results showed that foreign-born Mexicans reported the highest rates of IPV compared with foreign-born Cubans and Puerto Ricans; Latinas with higher levels of education and employment reported higher levels of IPV; and foreign-born Mexicans reported a higher rate of less injurious IPV than their U.S.-born counterparts. These findings highlight the need to inform programs of varying nature of Latinas experiencing IPV.

‘They don't look at what affects us’: the role of ecodevelopmental factors on alcohol and drug use among Latinos with physical disabilities

Objectives. Latinos with disabilities disproportionately report substance use, including binge drinking and drug use. Ecodevelopmental factors, including socioeconomic patterning of poverty, social exclusion, and post-colonial racism, have been shown to impact alcohol and drug use. However, this line of research remains underdeveloped among Latinos with disabilities. The purpose of this study was to obtain rich descriptions of the role of ecodevelopmental factors, including family and community, on alcohol and drug use among Latinos with physical disabilities. Methods. We utilized a community-based participatory research design, in conjunction with an innovative methodology referred to as photovoice. Three rounds of photography and focus group interviews were conducted with a total of 17 focus groups. Reflections in each focus group interview were aloud and digitally audiotaped. A total of 28 participants 19–35 years of age (mean age = 27.65, SD = 5.48) participated in each round of photography and focus group interviews. Data analyses followed the tenets of descriptive phenomenology. Results. Findings highlight ecodevelopmental family and community risk and protective factors. At the family level, participants reflected on the ways in which family functioning, including family support, communication, and cohesion, can serve as risk and promotive factors for alcohol and drug use. Additionally, participants described in detail how experiences of poverty, stigma and discrimination, violence, accessibility to alcohol and drugs, accessibility for persons with disabilities, transportation, community support and cohesion, and access to health and mental health services constitute risk and promotive factors at the community level. Conclusion. Findings are suggestive of how ecodevelopmental family and community factors might increase the risk of alcohol and drug use among Latinos with physical disabilities. From this qualitative research, we derive a series of testable hypotheses. For example, future studies should examine the impact of family functioning on alcohol and drug use among Latinos with physical disabilities over time. Study findings may have great utility to inform the development of preventive interventions for this at-risk group.

Latinos’ Access to Online and Formal Mental Health Support

Research on mental health services disparities affecting minority populations of the USA tends to neglect online mental health support (OMHS). The main objective of this study was to investigate online mental health support and help-seeking of Latino citizens living in US communities by estimating associations linking OMHS with a selection of individual and community variables. In addition, the extent to which unmet mental health treatment needs among adults are associated with key variables was examined. Variables of interest included economic resources, health insurance and coverage, confidentiality, perceived stigma, and accessibility. Data are from 39,630 Latino adult participants in the National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 2004–2010. Results indicate that for every 10,000 US Latino adults, fewer than 25 individuals received recent OMHS, as compared to a recently published estimate of 270–330 per 10,000 for the US population generally. Among Latinos with self-described unmet mental health needs, an estimated 40% identified cost of treatment as a prominent barrier that explained why they had not received formal mental health treatment services. Research and policy health disparities implications are discussed.

Enhancing Parenting Practices with Latino/a Immigrants: Integrating Evidence-Based Knowledge and Culture According to the Voices of Latino/a Parents

Effective and emotionally nurturing parenting practices constitute salient protective factors in the lives of children and youth. Although social workers have influenced in important ways the scholarship associated with the development and dissemination of culturally relevant evidence-based parenting interventions for underserved populations, low-income ethnic minorities continue to lack access to culturally relevant and efficacious parenting interventions in the United States due to widespread mental health disparities. Addressing this gap in service delivery is necessary, particularly because populations exposed to historical oppression and intense contextual adversity are at an increased risk for engaging in harsh parenting practices. The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the process of change that we have documented as a group of 130 underserved Latino/a immigrant parents were exposed to a culturally adapted evidence-based parenting intervention. An emphasis on describing the process of change leading to improved outcomes is relevant for clinical social workers engaged in the direct delivery of preventative or clinical parenting interventions. Thus, this manuscript will focus on issues of engagement and retention of parents, with important consideration to the importance of integrating evidence-based knowledge, cultural relevance, and key principles of social work practice.