Consultation to a Puerto Rican Drug Abuse Program

Abstract

The increasing number of Hispanics residing within the United States requires the development of human service programs which are culturally and linguistically relevant to this population. The area of drug abuse is no exception to this need. However, the limited amount of resources targeted to serve drug-addicted Hispanics has required the development of innovative strategies to maximize existing resources. The development of collaborative programs for reaching Hispanic addicts and their families is one means of impacting on the needs of this group. This article delineates a collaborative effort between a Puerto Rican drug abuse program and a Hispanic component of a youth guidance center in Worcester, Massachusetts. This effort involved a series of joint undertakings focused on needs assessment, consultation, program development, and in-service training. In addition, a series of recommendations is made to assist other programs in developing comparable interagency projects.