NCJ Number
227780
Journal
American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research Volume: 3 Issue: 3 Dated: Spring 1990 Pages: 17-26
Date Published
1990
Length
10 pages
Annotation
Chart reviews were used to identify demographic and clinical characteristics of 68 urban American Indian people who were attending an Indian-oriented outpatient substance-abuse treatment program in Denver, CO, as well as to describe program staff's assessment of clients' responses to treatment.
Abstract
Alcohol and marijuana were the drugs abused most often by clients. The program admitted approximately equal numbers of males and females, whose average age was 24. Although Colorado has only Ute reservations, 49 percent of the clients reported being Sioux; none reported being Ute, which indicated that most clients were living some distance from their own reservations. Eighty-seven percent of the clients indicated they were not active participants in Indian religion and culture. Clients had low levels of educational achievement and very low incomes; few were in stable marriages. Clients underestimated the severity of their problems compared to counselors' assessments. Counselors reported that 78 percent of clients did not complete the treatment program, and only two fully achieved treatment goals. In order to recruit clients, the staff had conducted extensive outreach activities with schools, churches, courts, and other potential referral sources. Clearly, the individuals admitted to the program constituted a difficult population that was not well prepared for success in the mainstream socioeconomic world. The high rate of early drop-outs indicates that as originally structured, the treatment program has had limited effectiveness. The most common treatments were individual or group supportive counseling. The program was staffed and directed by Indian personnel, with consultation from university substance-abuse treatment specialists. Future research needs are outlined. Records from 68 consecutively admitted male and female American Indian clients treated for substance abuse problems were studied, using information from clinical record forms required by funding agencies. 1 table and 11 references