Systematic assessment of culturally competent chemical dependence treatment services for African Americans

This project aimed to develop a tool for assessing and planning culturally competent and relevant chemical dependence treatment services for African American clients and their families. Focus groups were conducted with experts in African American culture and chemical dependence in eight substance abuse programs serving adult and adolescent African Americans and their families. Seventy-five statements were developed describing characteristics of culturally competent and relevant organizations. Concept mapping was used to produce a conceptual map displaying dimensions of culturally competent and relevant organizations and Cronbach's alpha was calculated to assess the internal consistency of each dimension. Analysis resulted in six reliable dimensions: Family Involvement (alpha = .81), Staff and Program Cultural Diversity (alpha = .98), Counselor Traits (alpha = .99), Linkage (alpha = .94), Community/Faith Services (alpha = .96), and Agency Culture (alpha = .97). The resulting instrument enables agencies to evaluate culturally competent and relevant services, set goals, and identify resources needed to implement desired services for both individual organizations and within networks of regional service providers.