| Counselor education values diversity and inclusion within its programs (Thacker & Minton,
2021). However, CACREP-Accredited counselor education programs have faced challenges in
representation among full-time faculty, despite an emphasis on diversity and inclusion within
CACREP Standards (CACREP, 2023). Only approximately 35% of CACREP-Accredited
programs have a specific plan in place to recruit diverse faculty (Cartwright et al., 2018). Diverse
representation increases cultural competency within counselor education (Davenport et al.,
2022). Counselor educators who teach in culturally competent ways positively impacts both
students, and by extension, their clients, which are integral values within our field (Thacker &
Minton, 2021). There is a gap in literature regarding diverse hiring practices within counselor
education; therefore, I created a q-methodology study to identify the most culturally competent
hiring practices for CACREP-Accredited counselor education programs among full-time faculty,
based on expert opinions in the field. I created a 38 statement q-sort, and analyzed the results
from the completed sorts, as well as demographic information I gathered from the participants. I
determined 1 significant factor grouping from the information gathered: a consensus about
systemic and actionable commitment to diversity. The results from this study help to identify
culturally competent hiring practices within counselor education.
Key words: Cultural competency, hiring, counselor education |