Incorporating 12-Step Group Attendance in Addictions Courses A Cross-Cultural Experience.

The development of cultural competency skills is important for a clinician in any cross-cultural setting where a working knowledge of the client's culture is important to the delivery of services. This paper suggests that incorporating attendance at Twelve Step recovery programs may begin to facilitate cultural competency for students, or at the very least provide exposure to the culture through a cross-cultural experience. From the perspective of cultural competency, an understanding of the culture of Twelve Step groups is important to any clinician working with clients who may be referred to, and/or are members of a Twelve Step group. This article defines cultural competency, applies this to the culture that has developed around Twelve Step groups, and provides a model of integrating Twelve Step meeting attendance into addictions coursework as a mechanism for development of cultural responsiveness with addicted clients. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]