The Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Competence Scale (CCS): initial development and validation

BACKGROUND: Nearly one-third of youth are affected by a mental health disorder, and the majority do not receive adequate care. To improve clinical outcomes among youth, efforts have been made to train providers in evidence-based mental health practices, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Such efforts call for valid assessment measures that can inform and evaluate training activities. AIMS: This study presents the development and validation of the CBT Competence Scale (CCS), a brief self-report measure to assess provider competence for CBT delivery. METHOD: Participants were 387 school mental health professionals (SMHPs) working with students in Michigan, USA. Initial items (n=59) were developed to evaluate competence in delivering common elements of CBT, with competence conceptualized as covering domains of knowledge, perception, and use of CBT techniques. CCS validation proceeded in three steps: using item response theory to select the most important items for assessing knowledge, evaluating the factor structure using exploratory and then confirmatory factor analyses, and examining reliability and validity of the resultant measure. RESULTS: The validated CCS measure consists of four dimensions of CBT competence across 33 items: Non-behavioral skills, Behavioral skills, Perceptions, and Knowledge. The CCS demonstrated excellent internal consistency and good construct-based validity. CONCLUSIONS: The CCS holds promise as a valid, informative measure of CBT competence appropriate for the school setting, with potential for application in other environments such as mental health clinics.