The outstanding scholars Alfonso Mercado and Amanda Venta have provided us with an invaluable contribution with Cultural Competency in Psychological Assessment: Working Effectively With Latinx Populations. They provide a comprehensive, highly informative volume that describes the tremendous diversity and complexity among Latinx groups, the phenomenon of acculturation, and immigration. They challenge various stereotypes and discuss issues such as the
resiliency of the Latinx population despite health risks. Most importantly, they provide best practices for appropriate ethical psychological assessment and evaluation with Latinx populations and other cultural groups. They do so with expertise, knowledge, wisdom, and sensitivity of Latinx communities. This work is a
highly essential and appealing must read for a broad range of scholars and practitioners.
Dr. Alfonso Mercado is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychological Science and Department of Psychiatry in the School of Medicine at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. He is a Licensed Psychologist and President of the Texas Psychological Association and APA's Committee on Rural Health. In 2019, Dr. Mercado was named Psychologist of the Year by the Texas Psychological Association for his research, and clinical and advocacy work
with recently immigrated families along the U.S.-Mexico border. In 2021, he received the American Psychological Association Early Career Psychologist Achievement Award.
Dr. Amanda Venta is a Clinical Psychologist and Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Houston. Her primary research interests are the development of psychopathology in youth and the protective effect of attachment security, with a focus on the psychological functioning of recently immigrated adolescents from Central America. She has received research funding
from the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities, the National Institutes of Mental Health, and the American Psychological Foundation. In 2016, she was designated as a Rising Star by the Association for Psychological Science, and in 2019 received the Outstanding Contribution to Science award from the Texas Psychological Association.