TPC-Journal-V6-Issue2

The Professional Counselor /Volume 6, Issue 2 150 Participants Six mental health professionals met the following criteria for participation in this study: (a) the ability to verbally describe and explain the diagnostic criteria for ODD (during the interview for data collection), (b) a minimum of 2 years’ clinical experience working with clients who have ODD as demonstrated by professional resume or curriculum vitae and explanation at the interview, and (c) a professional mental health license. The sample consisted of diverse practitioners in identity, years of experience, professional position and places of employment. Racial/ethnic and gender identities of participants were: African American female, African American male, multiracial Arab American female, White American female ( n = 2), and White American male. Participant ages ranged from: (a) 30–35 years ( n = 2), (b) 35–40 years ( n = 2) and (c) over 40 years ( n = 2). Reported mental health licenses included: licensed professional coun- selor associate ( n = 1), licensed professional counselor ( n = 2), licensed professional counselor super- visor ( n = 1), licensed clinical social worker ( n = 1) and licensed psychological associate ( n = 1). Years holding licensure ranged from less than one to greater than 15. The majority of participants described their professional position as a clinical supervisor and mental health counselor ( n = 3), with others identifying as mental health counselors ( n = 2) and multisystemic therapy program supervisor ( n = 1). All participants reported working within a private organization, with two participants employed by a for-profit community mental health agency, three participants by a non-profit community mental health agency and one participant in private practice. Procedure The Institutional Review Board for the Use of Human Subjects in Research evaluated and ap- proved the study. Participant recruitment involved purposeful sampling of mental health providers from local Critical Access Behavioral Health Agencies likely to meet participant criteria. Research team members contacted 10 potential participants by e-mail and follow-up phone calls to explain the study and ask for their participation. Once eligibility had been determined based on selection criteria, six mental health professionals were selected to create an intentionally diverse sample. Participants scheduled an in-person appointment to complete the informed consent process with a team member, signed the form indicating understanding and agreement to participate in the study, and engaged in an in-depth interview lasting 1 to 1.5 hours, at the office of the participants or the first author. Codes and pseudonyms protected confidential participant information and data was audio-recorded and transcribed for each interview. Measures Semi-structured interviews. Interview questions for the study were based on a literature review, an evaluation of the DSM-5 (APA, 2013) criteria for ODD, and pilot field interviews with mental health professionals, clients, and clinical directors experienced in providing or receiving services related to ODD. Participants were asked 12 initial questions about the process of making an ODD diagnosis for African American male clients that focused on: life circumstances that contributed to an ODD diagnosis; structural and cultural factors related to diagnosis (e.g., What are the social systems involved in the diagnosis?); post-diagnosis outcomes and implications (e.g., What happens after a client receives the diagnosis?); and treatment plan considerations (e.g., What are the benefits and/or problems of the treatment plan?). Data Analysis Data were analyzed using CQR beginning with a start domain list created from the initial inter- view questions and transcript of the first interview, where all research team members coded first in- terview data into domains, “topics used to group or cluster data” (Hill et al., 2005, p. 200). Next, core