Beth Lueders Craft, LICSW, instructor

Rapidly changing demographics behoove clinicians to expand their worldview and therapeutic repertoire to better serve Latino clients.  According to the U.S. Census Bureau the United States will have the second most Spanish-speakers in the world by 2050.  This conference will teach participants to have a deep appreciation for how culture and language affect people’s worldview, behavior and desired treatment outcomes.  Clinicians will gain proficiency in how bilingualism affects the clinical encounter; how to become a cultural negotiator/bridge; and how to adapt mainstream therapeutic techniques such as CBT so they are culturally relevant.  Using case examples, issues of spirituality will be addressed, “resistance” will be reframed, and key skills will be taught to improve therapeutic rapport. 

The major objectives of this presentation are to:

1. Heighten awareness of and sensitivity to how sociocultural background impacts Latinos’ perceptions of mental illness and wellness.

2. Enhance abilities to advocate for Latinos access to effective mental health services.

3. Enhance abilities to appreciate that treatment response may be, in part, a function of cross cultural dynamics between mental health providers and Latino clients.

4. Offer strategies for the conduct of culturally competent assessment, intervention, and consultation.

Program Code: LC30

3 CE Credits (MFT CE Credits available)

$70, (includes a post-program networking luncheon from 12 - 1 pm)

Beth Craft, MSW, is a bilingual LICSW with over 30 years experience working in the Latino community.  She currently directs the Latino Program at Advocates in Framingham, Massachusetts. She also provides therapy to Latino adolescents, adults and families both in the office and clients’ homes. Initially Beth was a case worker at Concilio Hispano, a grass roots Latino agency in Cambridge for 6 years.  Working at Concilio Hispano was like working in a microcosm of Latin America.  She learned nuances of culture and dialects that are essential to working effectively in the Latino community.  Beth has had a passion for studying language, culture and issues of acculturation ever since she was an undergraduate at Tufts University. Beth earned her Master’s in Social Work from Boston University in 1990.  She did her final year practicum at The Cambridge Hospital where she was a member of the Latino Clinical Team. She has worked in a variety of capacities in Framingham for 25 years.  Her team at Advocates highly values her ability to interpret cultural differences to foster understanding and thereby improve treatment outcomes.   She does workshops on how to effectively provide therapy in the Latino community.  Additionally, she is an adjunct professor at the Boston College School of Social Work in the Latino Leadership Initiative.