title: Beyond the Label: Relationship Between Community Therapists' Self-Report of a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Orientation and Observed Skills.
abstract: Policy-makers, payers, and consumers often make decisions based on therapists' reported theoretical orientations, but little is known about whether these labels represent actual or potential skills. Prior to CBT training, therapists (n = 321) reported theoretical orientations. Experts rated CBT competency using the Cognitive Therapy Rating Scale Therapy at pre-, mid-, and post-training. CBT- and non-CBT identified therapists showed equivalent, non-competent baseline CBT skills. CBT-identified therapists showed greater CBT skills at mid-training, but by end of training, groups evidenced equivalent achieved competency. Baseline CBT orientations were neither valid, nor useful markers of later competency. Policy, clinical and research implications are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA. tcreed@mail.med.upenn.edu.
authors.forename: Torrey A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Creed
authors.affiliation: Center for Mental Health Policy and Services Research, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Courtney Benjamin
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Wolk
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Betsy
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Feinberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.|Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Arthur C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Aaron T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Beck
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000193:education*; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000193:education; D011584:Psychology / Q000193:education; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000193:education; D057566:Self Report; D000068217:Social Workers / Q000193:education
keywords: Cognitive behavioral therapy; Community mental health; Competency; Implementation; Theoretical orientation