Developing Culturally Responsive Evidence-Based Practice: A Game-Based Group Therapy Program for Child Sexual Abuse (CSA)

The American Psychological Association has called for the development and dissemination of evidence-based practices (EBPs) that are culturally responsive to ethnically and socioeconomically diverse groups. Delivering culturally responsive EBPs is essential for mental health practitioners working within racially, culturally, and ethnically diverse settings and across a variety of disorders. Child sexual abuse (CSA) affects people from diverse backgrounds and results in a myriad of difficulties impacting children and families. Therefore, effective treatment for CSA must take cultural factors into consideration. The authors describe the culturally congruent elements of a Game-Based Cognitive-Behavioral Group Therapy (GB-CBT) model for CSA, which was developed within a center serving predominantly urban, economically disadvantaged, African-American and Latino families. Lessons learned from families served through the GB-CBT program are incorporated and illustrate the ongoing and dynamic process of improving cultural competence in clinical practice. Cultural and socioeconomic considerations and obstacles to treatment are discussed along with strategies and recommendations for delivering EBPs for CSA in a culturally informed manner.