Teaching Practitioners in Australia Culturally Responsive and Compassion-Based Functional Assessment Interviewing...

An initial functional assessment interview often serves as the first point of contact between practitioners and caregivers from diverse cultural backgrounds. This initial contact is crucial for gathering essential information about the client and their environment but also for establishing an effective interpersonal and therapeutic relationship with the caregivers. Considering that cultural and linguistic diversity is an integral part of the Australian community (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2022), it is imperative that practitioners have the competency to incorporate culturally responsive and compassionate care skills when conducting assessments. The present study evaluated the effect of a remote training package when conducting initial functional assessment interviews using a concurrent multiple baseline design across skills. Functional assessment interviewing skills, cultural responsiveness skills, and compassionate care skills were taught sequentially to three practitioners with limited experience conducting assessments. The effect of the training was maintained for 1 to 2 weeks and 3 months after the termination of the intervention. This study highlights the utility of practitioner training, the implications for collaboration with caregivers, socially valid teaching effects, and future research considerations.

The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-025-01121-5.