Abstract
Cultural competence has long been emphasized in the practice of mental health care. However, there still lies a broad definition of how the system of care constitutes cultural competence and how services should be delineated as best practices for those seeking culturally responsive treatment within the Asian Pacific Islander population. The purpose of this study was to determine if cultural competency components addressed in treatment contributed to the successful outcomes of the consumers served. A qualitative study was conducted with ten closed-case files from an outpatient mental health program, created to serve the Asian Pacific Islander population of Sacramento County. Although there were components of cultural competent practice implemented in the providers’ work with the consumers, the researcher cannot come to a definitive conclusion that it was the provider’s degree of cultural competence that directly contributed to the success rates of those that received mental health treatment.