In order to have a successful treatment of any health problem, the family unit has a significant role to play in ensuring the full recovery of a patient. Cases that require family attention include cases of substance abuse. It is vital to note that most individuals who suffer from substance abuse have a constant interaction with other family members. This interaction can be either positive or negative. In some cases, constant interaction can aggravate the problem through increased drinking habits. This is because family members have an extremely powerful influence on how other members communicate or behave. Therapists have capitalized on this phenomenon to assist their clients recover. The measures devised in tackling substance abuse in family-centered therapy can be instrumental in others areas too. For example, they can be adapted to meet the needs of a particular cultural group. However, the inherent and cohesive nature of the cultural group must ape that of a family. A closer nuance between these two groups will lead to more significant and similar outcomes. This paper will apply some of these devices to describe the effectiveness of adapted family centered therapy on a selected unit of African American group affected with Marijuana abuse. The paper will demonstrate the application of the said devices and whether they will have any meaningful impact upon their application.
Just like family members, Individuals who share the same culture have a vital role to play in the treatment of substance abusers especially where the individuals participates directly or indirectly in supporting the abuse. For example, if a neighbor fails to fulfill his household obligations because of substance abuse, the neighborhood is likely to step in carrying out those chores especially if children are involved. In this context, the cultural group should be interpreted as an ecosystem. In a black neighborhood, different families usually maintain close ties and would frequently check on each other. Some families send their children to the same school; attend the same church and hold communal events to enhance their cohesion. More significantly, they offer moral support to each other in times of difficulty.
There are multiple theoretical approaches that are applicable in this context; however, one must first be aware of the objectives and goals of the therapy. In this case, one of the cardinal goals is to prevent trans-generation transfer of abuse. It also seeks to prevent others members of the cultural community from developing the same problem. More significantly, the therapy will be aiming at stemming the Marijuana addiction. It will also aim to resolve the psychological issues affecting individuals and the group as a whole. For example, five African America families that closely relate with only some of them abusing drugs can be selected to join the therapy. They will undergo a pre-intervention and post-intervention design to complete the therapy. The families will have a culturally adapted family therapy session on a weekly basis. Substance abusers will also have a weekly session touching on the psychological education treatment. The therapist can also elect to use other African American in the neighborhood. They may be requested to fill questionnaires on the attitudes and behavior of the Marijuana abusers. Further, addicts will write down how they feel about their neighbors. The quality of the interrelationships can they be keenly assessed. This will make this cultural community become cognizant of their feelings towards one another. It will also reveal their needs. Furthermore, it will make them appreciate themselves and open up to the treatment process.
When goals have been set, it becomes easy to elect which theoretical approach to adapt. This is dependent on the school of thought the therapist subscribes to and the various therapeutic factors present. Some of these include the structural organization of the cultural group, determined accountability, desire to change, and the general cooperation from the group. This can be solved by leveling the ground and making members accountable to one another. This means that a young man, who is a marijuana addict will be accountable to the whole group and not only his parents. This makes the therapy session a neutral ground where each party has an equal say. It will facilitate candid negotiation and rational discussions on how they should solve their problems. Such a frank conversation will elicit underlying issues that the young addict may have been experiencing without the knowledge of his parents. Parents will also have the opportunity to disclose their displeasure on how their son has become and share any similar experiences they have. In other circumstances where parents are addicts, children will articulate the hardships that they have to endure to sustain themselves and also stipulate the prejudice and stigma that they face from other members of the cultural group.
The end of therapy sessions does not mean the end of the treatment process. The group has to ensure that they maintain the healing momentum. In addition, the therapist has to plan a number of follow ups. This can be scheduled to include the whole group or a number of individuals as a whole. The first call can be within three months and subsequent one after six months. It is also vital that any of the group members especially the addicts be in a position to amply access the therapist when it is necessary.
In order to succeed in adapting family therapy devices for a cultural group, it is mandatory that the therapist has an informed understanding of the fundamental cultural practices, ethics and the background of the group. Failure to have comprehensive understanding of the underlying issues may be fatal. The therapist must also request consent, in confidence, to share any secrets from members of the group. This is essential because the more diverse the group, the more different their understanding may be. In an African American setting the man of the household is accorded respect. The language in use should also be acceptable by the entire group.
Cultural therapy is a highly delicate and complex process. One is not only supposed to take into account the concerns of the individual and the group, but those of the community at large. The therapist has to be sensitive to such concerns and device ways through family therapy models that will ensure that treatment modalities have maximum beneficial effects. More significantly, the therapist should be aware that cultural groups as a whole, including members who are not involved in the therapy, have an interest too in the process.
References
Barry, K. L. (1999). TIP 34: Brief Interventions and Brief Therapies for Substance Abuse: Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series 34. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES.
Bernal , G., Jiménez-Chafey, M., Rodríguez , D., & Melanie , M. (2009). Cultural adaptation of treatments: A resource for considering culture in evidence-based practice. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, Vol 40(4), 361-368.
Castro, F. G., Barrera Jr., M., & Steiker, H. ( 2010). Issues and Challenges in the Design of Culturally Adapted Evidence-Based Interventions. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, Vol. 6: 213-239.
