Abstract

There is a serious substance abuse problem in the Hispanic/Latino population in the United States especially in such urban areas as Newark and Jersey City, New Jersey. Since heroin is one of the primary drugs of choice, there is also a high rate of HIV transmission through the sharing of contaminated drug paraphernalia. In addition to drug abuse, there are high rates of crime, unemployment, and early high school dropout. Cultural barriers and poverty interfere with access to appropriate healthcare and drug treatment programs. The predominant residential modality for treating addictions from Chile to China is the therapeutic community. The therapeutic community is a milieu type of therapy that utilizes peer counselors (frequently ''graduates'' of the program), group pressure, and rational authority figures in a functional ''family'' setting. Transgressions and irrational thinking are frequently met with abrasive challenges. In an effort to respond to cultural needs, CURA, a Hispanic/Latino program, focuses on ''respeto,'' ''dignidad,'' and ''confianza.'' In order to assess the success rate of this orientation, an archival study was conducted using data from CURA's residential programs in 1998 and 1999. The retention rates for both clients (50-80 percent) and staff (over 90 percent) are very impressive, far above traditional ''graduation'' rates (20 percent) for similarly located traditional therapeutic communities.

The Story of CURA, a Hispanic/Latino Drug Therapeutic Community by Judith A. Waters, Sherry Lynn Fazio, Luis Hernandez, Jose Segarra. Featured in The Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse, Volume 1, Number 1, 2002 (pp.113-134)