University of New England Substance Abuse Discussion

According to Vaughn & Perron (2013) in the optional text for the course, “evidence has shown that substance abuse prevention and treatment programs are more successful when they are grounded in the participant’s culture. In addition, treatments that are tailored to meet specific cultural needs have been shown to have high retention rates, which is crucial for success. An intervention is culture-specific when it begins with the culture and builds the program around that culture’s experiences with drug use and related cultural norms, attitudes, and beliefs. Cultural-specific interventions not only incorporate cultural symbols and language but also core values that influence how a person, their support systems, and their community perceive their substance use. A culturally specific approach accounts for deeper aspects of culture such as norms and values by considering the cultural context at every level of program development” (p.170).

There is a multitude of empirically-validated substance abuse prevention and treatment interventions and programs available to help clients. For purposes of this discussion, please conduct research via scholarly journal articles in the library or through online searches for a particular substance abuse prevention or treatment program/intervention that you can share with the class and educate about. The program should be specific to a particular ethnic or cultural group of your choosing (e.g., LGBT, American Indian, women, etc.) and can be targeted toward either adolescents or adults.

Please name and give an overall description of the program/intervention that you chose and provide an assessment of its strengths, weaknesses, outcomes, etc. What are your personal/professional impressions of this treatment program/intervention? Provide 1-2 website links to relevant literature or articles about your chosen treatment program/intervention for your peers to read more about. Be sure to avoid duplication of other peers’ program selections so that we can have a diverse compilation of options to examine. 400 Words, APA format.

Readings:

Wormer, K. & Davis, D. (2018). Addiction treatment: a strengths perspective. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning. ISBN-13: 978-1305943308

• Redding, B. (2014). LGBT Substance Use — Beyond Statistics. Social Work Today, 14(4), 8.
• Hunt, J. (2012). Why the Gay and Transgender Population Experiences Higher Rates of Substance Use. Center for American Progress
• McCabe, S. E., Bostwick, W. B., Hughes, T. L., West, B. T., & Boyd, C. J. (2010). The relationship between discrimination and substance use disorders among lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults in the united states. American Journal of Public Health, 100(10), 1946-1952.
• Milligan, K. et al. (2010). Maternal substance use and integrated treatment programs for women with substance abuse issues and their children: a meta-analysis. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, 5(21).
• Substance Use in Women (NIH, NIDA, Drug Facts)
• NIH Article: Hecksher, D., & Hesse, M. (2009). Women and substance use disorders. Mens Sana Monographs, 7(1), 50–62. http://doi.org/10.4103/0973-1229.42585
• SAMSHA Resource: A Provider’s Introduction to Substance Abuse Treatment for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Individuals – Read Executive Summary and Overview.
• Lo, C.C. & Cheng, T. (2011). Racial/ethnic differences in access to substance abuse treatment. Journal of Healthcare for the Poor and Underserved, 22(2).
• Gainsbury, S. (2017). Cultural competence in the treatment of addictions: theory, practice, and evidence. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 24, 987-1001.
• Optional Textbook: Vaughn, M. & Perron, B. (2013). Chapter 12 (pp.199-210) and Chapters 9-10 (pp. 139-178).

Watch

• Understanding Substance Use Problems and Addictions in Women Video. (2010). Presented by Nancy Poole, Government of Alberta. Time: 1:44:11. Transcript
• Providing Care for Addictions in the LGBT Community Video. (2016). Presented by Alex Keuroghlian, MD, National LGBT Health Education Center: A Program of The Fenway Institute. Time 46:35. – Click on Watch Presentation – Transcript
• Drug Policy.org: Race and the Drug War Video and read the article on the same page. Time: 3:49, CC included.