Clinician beliefs and practices related to increasing responsivity to the needs of Măori with alcohol and drug problems.
Culturally responsive treatments are often cited as essential for successfully addressing substance use-associated problems in indigenous and other ethnic groups. However, there has been little investigation of the support for this assertion among alcohol and drug-user treatment workers, or how it might translate into clinical practice. The current paper reports on the results of a survey of the New Zealand alcohol and drug-user treatment field, which canvassed these issues. Eighty-six percent of respondents advocated adjustment of clinical practice when working with Măori. Two key strategies were referral to specialist Măori groups or individuals and/or contacting/meeting with whănau (family). Comparisons were made between respondents who referred clients on and those who provided intervention themselves. Implications of results, limitations and future research are discussed.
Robertson
P J
PJ
National Centre for Treatment Development, (Alcohol, Drugs & Addiction), Department of Psychological Medicine, Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, New Zealand. paul.robertson@chmeds.ac.nz
Futterman-Collier
A
A
Sellman
J D
JD
Adamson
S J
SJ
Todd
F C
FC
Deering
D E
DE
Huriwai
T
T
D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000628:therapy*; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services; D009520:New Zealand; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome