Newspaper Page Text
10A
JULY 22, 1999
Cultural issues are key in
substance ahuse treatment
Cultural issues in Substance
Abuse Treatment, a new report
released today by the Substance
Abuse Mental Health Services
Administration’s(SAMHSA) Cen
ter for Substance Abuse Treat
ment, is designed to shed light on
the critical role that cultural per
spective plays in successful sub
stance abuse treatment strate
gies. :
The report provides background
on demographic, social and treat
ment needs for African American,
Hispanic, Asian American/Pacific
Islander and American Indian/
Alaska Native populations in the
United States.
“Building on the individual’s
cultural strengths and values is
critical tothe success of substance
abuse treatment,” said SAMHSA
Administrator Nelba Chavez,
Ph.D. “Cultural competencyisnot
aeuphemism for translated mate
rials or someone who can speak a
second language. It is, however,
the delivery of services that are
rooted in an understanding of and
respect for the patient’s needs,
cultural values, and environment.”
. The report points out that some
substance abuse problems are
more prevalent among some ra
cial and ethnic minority popula
tion and that members of these
population are disproportionately
affected by diseases, hepatitis,and
sexually transmitted diseases.
“We need to reach America’s
sthnic minority populations in
voices they will understand,” CSAT
Director H. Wesley Clark, M.D.,
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The report points out that some substance
abuse problems are more prevalent
among some racial and ethnic minority
population and that members of these
population are disproportionately af
fected by diseases, hepatitis, and sexually
transmitted diseases.
J.D., M.P.H. explained. “Sub
stance abuse is a massive public
health problem. It has been
CSAT’s experience that the treat
ment programs that succeed with
these vulnerable populations are
those that recognize the impor
tance of being attuned to the cul
ture of their patients.”
Ignoring these factors, the re
port warns, can lead to a one size
fits all mentality that may set the
state for more costly and acute
treatment needs down the road.
Culturally competent services
are characterized as:
¢ Staff knowledge of the native
language of the patient.
o Staff sensitivity to the cul
tural nuances of the patient popu
lation.
¢ Treatment modalities that re
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flect the cultural values and treat
ment needs of the patient popula
tion-i.e. incorporating American
Indian rituals into the treatment
program/
* Representation of the patient
population in decision making and
policy implementation so outsid
ers are not imposing their values.
Cultural Issues in Substance
Abuse Treatment notes that
among the Hispanic community,
well educated professionals may
not understand the problems and
cultural nuances of a poor, immi
grant community, even though
they speak the same language.
In the African American com
munity the church has played a
role as extended family. “As the
recoverer makes his or her way
back into the community, church
Living
support can serve to improve the
individual’s chances of recovery
and lessen the change of relapse,”
the publication points out.
When treating the Asian and
Pacificlslander populations, treat
ment providers must understand
that views of family interdepen
dence within the communities can
lead to denial of substance abuse
by a family member.
Behavior that is labeled dys
functional or enabling in the ma
jority population is seen as appro
priate protection of the individual
and would be considered so in
most other life circumstances. “In
tervention strategiesthat attempt
todiffuse the power of family rela
tionships orimply parental blame
for the child’s problems are cul
turallyinappropriate...”the report
explains.
To have a significant impact of
substance abuse in the American
Indian or Alaska Native popula
tions, the report emphasizes that
“it is essential that the commu
nity be included in the treatment
process and that community mem
bers such astribal healers, elders
and holy persons serve as counse
lors and support staff.
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