Old Dominion University ODU Digital Commons Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations Counseling & Human Services Spring 2013 Initial Development and Validation of the Rural Competency Scale Cassandra Gail Pusateri Old Dominion University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/chs_etds Part of the Counseling Psychology Commons, and the Counselor Education Commons Recommended Citation Pusateri, Cassandra G.. "Initial Development and Validation of the Rural Competency Scale" (2013). Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Dissertation, Counseling & Human Services, Old Dominion University, DOI: 10.25777/41gp-hh86 https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/chs_etds/88 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Counseling & Human Services at ODU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ODU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INITIAL DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF THE RURAL COMPETENCY SCALE by Cassandra Gail Pusateri B.A. August 2004, University of Tennessee M.A. May 2008, East Tennessee State University A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of Old Dominion University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY COUNSELING OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY April 2013 Approved by: PatncurE. Robertson (Member] rard S. Neukrug (Member) ABSTRACT INITIAL DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF THE RURAL COMPETENCY SCALE Cassandra Gail Pusateri Old Dominion University, 2013 Dissertation Chair: Dr. Danica Hays Rurality is a term that can be used to describe rural residency and the cultural characteristics of rural individuals and areas. The counseling profession has increased its attention to culture with the development of the multicultural counseling competencies (Sue, Arredondo, & McDavis, 1992) and assessments designed to measure competency levels for providing services to diverse clientele (e.g., Kim, Cartwright, Asay, & D’Andrea, 2003; LaFromboise, Coleman, & Hernandez, 1991; Ponterotto, Gretchen, Utsey, Rieger, & Austin, 2002; Sodowsky, Taffe, Gutkin, & Wise, 1994). However, the commonly used definitions of culture as well as the instruments available to measure multicultural counseling competence do not take rurality into account. The counseling profession’s current initiatives to increase the presence of counselors in rural areas (National Board for Certified Counselors [NBCC], 2010) provide evidence of an increased focus on appropriate services for rural individuals. Therefore, the purpose of this study is the development and validation of the Rural Competency Scale (RCS), a scale designed to measure counselors’ competency levels for providing mental health services to rural individuals and/or in rural areas. Using an exploratory mixed methods design with sequential data collection (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2007), the scale was developed (i.e., content analysis, item development study, expert review, pilot study) and validation analyses were performed (i.e., exploratory factor, internal replication, reliability, and validity analyses). For this study, 379 counseling students and professionals completed an online survey packet consisting of the RCS, Multicultural Counseling Knowledge and Awareness Scale (MCKAS; Ponterotto et al., 2002), and a demographic information form. A four-factor model was determined to be the best model for the sample accounting for 31.11% of the total variance. Internal consistency estimates were acceptable for the RCS total scale (a = .87) as well as the Rural Awareness (a = .87), Social Desirability (a = .81), Rural Knowledge (a = .75), and Rural Skills (a = .8 6 ) subscales. Additionally, the RCS was significantly, positively correlated with the MCKAS (Ponterotto et al., 2002) supporting convergent validity. Although further validation analyses are needed, initial results support the use of the RCS in measuring competency levels for providing mental health services in rural areas and/or to rural individuals. V ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I want to begin by acknowledging the backdrop for this dissertation. The mountains of northeast Tennessee were the setting of my childhood and young adulthood. Growing up in a small, rural Appalachian town came with unique experiences that follow me to the present. Nature quickly became a large part of my rearing as a member of a rural community. The fog that blankets the mountains in the morning, and the snow that seems to stay on the mountaintops in anticipation of spring. The autumn leaves that turn the ground into a myriad of colors, and the sweet summer winds carrying the fragrance of wildflowers. The peaceful chirping of the finches, quick flap of a hummingbird’s wings, and roaring of a rain filled waterfall. Regular Sunday hikes with my father learning basic boy scout survival techniques, learning to recognize animal tracks, and taking a piece of our surroundings with us by transplanting a pine tree to our yard. Hosting a menagerie of different animals including chickens, quail, rabbits, dogs, cats, hamsters, parakeets, and one pony and quickly realizing what an enormous responsibility it was to care for them. Fostering a strong work ethic was the main objective for both my parents and grandparents, and something I feel very privileged to have been given. My paternal grandfather worked in the bean fields of Johnson County, the coal mines of West Virginia, in the Burlington factory, and finally in the tobacco fields. There were several times when I was petitioned to help in the tobacco fields from which I grew hoping I would never have to hoe another row of tobacco. My maternal great grandfather and grandfather brought another perspective of rural living by owning and operating small businesses in Boone, North Carolina. From these experiences came my parents who continued to value hard work and strived to instill a strong work ethic in me. Mom and Dad, your advocacy for me at an early age opened the doors of academia to me. Your tireless commitment to my success allowed me to blossom personally and professionally. Through each endeavor, the two of you have been there providing words of support and encouragement, financial support, and wisdom that have served me well in life. My successful completion of a doctorate cannot be acknowledged without also acknowledging the hard work required by both of you to make this possible. I will forever be grateful for the two of you. My strong work ethic took me to college where I quickly started learning just how different my experience was from the other college students. Mention of my accent and judgment about my education persisted, and gradually I started to see the perceptions others had of me. It was then that I recognized the divide. The place from which I came was leaving a lasting impression on those around me. My academic studies led to me counseling, and, from the beginning of my education, I knew that my focus would be rural issues, and the study presented here is my approach to advocacy for rurality. I want to thank all of those involved in this study. It would be unfair to mention all of you by name because I would inevitably miss someone, but please know that your involvement made this study possible. My understanding of advocacy and multiculturalism in counseling started with my mentor, Dr. Patricia Robertson. Dr. Robertson left an indelible mark on my development. Her ability to see a spark in me that I could not yet acknowledge played a significant role in my development as a counseling professional, educator, and researcher. My growing commitment to multicultural issues in counseling continued with Dr. Danica Hays, the chair and methodologist of this dissertation, who provided me the support and encouragement needed during an extensive dissertation process. Dr. Hays’ commitment to equality and social justice is evident in the way she speaks about the counseling profession as well as her dedication to rigorous research. She was, in fact, the first to introduce instrument development to me. Finally, I want to thank Dr. Neukrug who has, without hesitation, supported my research endeavors by being the first to provide me an opportunity to publish a peer-refereed journal article, challenging me to become a better writer, and providing me opportunities to network with other professionals. To my three committee members, thank you for your belief in my abilities and support, both academic and emotional, throughout this process. There are other educators I want to acknowledge as well, including Drs. Grothaus, Remley, Schwitzer, and Thompson who supported my pursuits personally and professionally and have always been available to offer words of support and encouragement. Additionally, I would like to specially thank Drs. Christine Ward and Jason Osborne. Dr. Ward’s involvement in this dissertation in the early stages and willingness to acknowledge me as both a person and a student were invaluable. Dr. Osborne was the instructor of most of my quantitative research methods courses and believed in my ability to do research long before I did. I also want to acknowledge special people in my life who have helped shape the person I am today. My gratitude extends beyond professional and academic pursuits to living life with integrity and to the fullest. First, I want to thank my paternal great aunt Goldie Murphy and paternal aunt Trudy Potter. These two female figures provided phenomenal insight into the life I would like to live as a woman.