Collaborating with community stakeholders is an often suggested step when integrating cultural variables into psychological treatments for members of ethnic minority groups. However, there is a dearth of literature describing how to accomplish this process within the context of substance abuse treatment studies. This paper describes a qualitative study conducted through a series of focus groups with stakeholders in the Latino community. Data from focus groups were used by researchers to guide the integration of cultural variables into an empirically-supported substance abuse treatment for Latino adolescents currently being evaluated for efficacy. A model for culturally accommodating empirically-supported treatments for ethnic minority participants is also described.

Objectives Comparative studies examining the difference between empirically supported substance abuse treatments versus their culturally accommodated counterparts with participants from a single ethnic minority group are frequently called for in the literature but infrequently conducted in practice. This RCT was conducted to compare the efficacy of an empirically supported standard version of a group-based cognitive-behavioral treatment (S-CBT) to a culturally accommodated version (A-CBT) with a sample of Latino adolescents primarily recruited from the juvenile justice system. Development of the culturally accommodated treatment and testing was guided by the Cultural Accommodation Model for Substance Abuse Treatment (CAM-SAT). Methods Seventy Latino adolescents (mean age = 15.2; 90% male) were randomly assigned to one of two group-based treatment conditions (S-CBT = 36; A-CBT = 34) with assessments conducted at pretreatment, posttreatment, and 3-month follow-up. Longitudinal Poisson mixed models for count data were used to conduct the major analyses. The primary outcome variable in the analytic models was the number of days any substance was used (including alcohol, except tobacco) in the past 90 days. In addition, the variables ethnic identity, familism, and acculturation were included as cultural moderators in the analysis. Results Although both conditions produced significant decreases in substance use, the results did not support a time by treatment condition interaction; however, outcomes were moderated by ethnic identity and familism. Conclusions The findings are discussed with implications for research and practice within the context of providing culturally relevant treatment for Latino adolescents with substance use disorders.

Studies comparing empirically supported substance abuse treatments versus their culturally accommodated counterparts with participants from a specific ethnic minority group are lacking in the literature. To address this gap, this pilot study was conducted to compare the feasibility and relative efficacy of an empirically supported standard version of cognitive-behavioral substance abuse treatment (S-CBT) to a culturally accommodated version (A-CBT) with a sample of Latino adolescents. This study was guided by a Cultural Accommodation Model for Substance Abuse Treatment (CAM-SAT). Thirty-five Latino adolescents (mean age = 15.49) were randomly assigned to one of two 12-week group-based treatment conditions (S-CBT = 18; A-CBT = 17) with assessments conducted at pretreatment, posttreatment and 3-month follow-up. Results indicated similar retention and satisfaction rates for participants in both treatment conditions. In addition, participants in both conditions demonstrated significant decreases in substance use from pre- to posttreatment with slight increases at 3-month follow-up; however, substance use outcomes were moderated by two cultural variables: ethnic identity and familism. Implications of these findings within the context of conducting clinical trials with Latino adolescents are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).

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Results supported the efficacy of this couples-focused, coparenting support program, particularly for facilitating positive paternal engagement. These findings underscored the relevance of including fathers in the delivery of maternal-child public health services.