Darryl P. Turpin, MPA, CADC

Pinwheel Group

Louisville, KY

Addressing Barriers to Participation and Successful

Completion in Your Accountability Court

Minority populations are overly represented in the criminal justice system.

These populations experience lower rates of program participation and higher rates of non-completion of treatment and recidivism.

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Over one-third of the U.S. population is from a minority group.

People of color make up about 30 percent of the United States’ population and they account for 60 percent of those imprisoned.

Black males have an imprisonment rate 7 times higher than white non-Hispanic males. Black females 3 times higher than white non-Hispanic women.

67.5% of state prisoners with drug convictions in 2009 were minorities.

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Minority populations have lower rates of participation in substance abuse programs

Successful treatment outcomes were least likely for Blacks and Hispanics (42%)

Successful treatment outcomes are least likely for episodes involving Blacks and Hispanics (42%)

Treatment completion is lowest among Blacks (27%)

By Race: Admissions to Publicly Funded Substance Abuse Treatment Programs, 2008

Percentage of Admissions** Race/Ethnicity

59.8 White

20.9 African-American

13.7 Hispanic Origin

Research spanning the past two decades has consistently identified subgroups of drug court clients who have not fared well. Among the most reliable risk factors for failure in drug court programs include being:

• younger (typically between age18 and 25) • male gender• African American race • lower socioeconomic status

• Graduation rates are frequently between 25 and

30 percentage points lower for African Americans than for other drug court participants

• An evaluation conducted in the St. Louis City Drug Court reported that 94.9% of unsuccessfully terminated cases were African American males between the ages of 17 and 20 years

In many Drug Courts across the country, the drug court population does not reflect the general criminal justice population. Why?

BJA’s response to this issue: Grant applicants are required in their application to describe program’s screening and referral process which ensures that offenders screened and referred to drug court mirror the jurisdiction’s substance abuse arrestee percentages.

Example: A client with a Hispanic surname is handed forms in Spanish.

Perception: She’s Latina.

Assumption: She does not speak or understand English

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Example: A client with a Hispanic surname is handed forms in Spanish.

Reality: She is 3rd generation and does not speak or read Spanish.

Emotional Response: Feels stereotyped and misunderstood. She is offended from the very start. 9

What assumptions do you make about these people?

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Race is external and is limiting.

Culture is internal and limitless.

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When working with an individual in drug court, looking at race alone clouds the issue.

- Judgmental- Perceptions/Misconceptions- Stereotypical- Exclusive- Extrinsic

• How I understand my culture

• How I see myself

• Which social groups I identify with

• How I understand your culture

• How I see you

• Which social groups I identify you with

• Life experience that I may or may not disclose to you

Behavior Sloppy dress

Questioning Actions

Refusal to look in the eyes

Perception Disrespectful

Distrust-healthy paranoia

Anger/hostility

Behavior Tardy, no show,

incomplete tasks/assignments

No-verbal

War stories

Perception Resistant/lack of

commitment

Refusal to develop rapport

Defeatist attitude

inappropriatearrogantunmotivatednot readycriminal (not addicted)doesn’t careunwilling to change

The word culture refers to the way of life of a particular group of people. Culture includes everything that a group of people thinks, says, does and makes.

The way a group of people expresses themselves, how they move, and how they solve problems are all part of their culture.

Culture is a set of rules by which a group of people guides its behavior and thinking.

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Higher retention rates

Higher completion rates

Enhanced quality assurance

Lower attrition rates

DSM IV-TR - demands that you cannot make a diagnosis when culture maybe an issue. For example…

When a person talks to dead relatives, does not necessarily mean that they are psychotic. Culturally, this may be accepted as a way to process how people grieve.

A person should not be considered to have paranoid ideations when they live in a drug or gang infested neighborhood.

Brain fatigue (trauma)

• Cultural Sensitivity

-Awareness of difference-Appreciation of difference-Aiming for positive relations

• Cultural Competence

-Can locate self within a cultural identity-Knowledge about cultural differences-Understanding of power dynamics involved in cross-cultural interactions-Application of self-awareness and cultural knowledge to one-on-one interactions

• Conduct research • Develop new service delivery approaches based on

cultural context• Publish and disseminate results of demonstration

efforts• Employ culturally competent specialists• Advocate for systems and social change

Program Factors Environmental Factors Client Factors Counselor, Case Manager Factors Drug Court Team

Lack of Communication and Collaboration Lack of Culturally Relevant Screening and

Assessment Tools Lack of Culturally Relevant Interventions

and Continuing Care Lack of Clinical Supervision (3) Levels Lack of Quality Assurance

Strengths-Based PracticeStrengths-Based Practice

• The treatment and criminal justice systems have been dominated by two primary views.

• In fact, many of our problems stem from the fact that our rehabilitative efforts are inadequate because of a vision problem -that a third viewpoint is needed.

The Victim ViewThe Victim View

• Dysfunctional• Mentally ill• Abused-sexually,

physically, emotionally

• Damaged, diseased• Ignored, neglected• Victim of systems:

school, health, community

• Learning disabled• Sick, incapable, weak • Vulnerable• Will fall back into old

patterns • Dependent-needing a

long period of intensive therapy

The Villain ViewThe Villain View

• Evil• Predatory• Without conscience • Selfish, arrogant,

victimizer, manipulator

• Untrustworthy, unreachable

• Therapy/treatment a waste of time

• Resistant and defiant• Dangerous/bloodthirsty• Not interested in changing• Conduct disordered-also

paranoid, etc…• Needs to be controlled and

contained

The Resource ViewThe Resource View

• Leaders• Capable, competent• Willing and interested • Positive and fun• Open to positive

leadership -looking for positive mentorship

• Can persist towards positive goals

• Able to bond • Cares about family• Resilient –overcoming

historical trauma• Creative

The Strengths Approach: the The Strengths Approach: the LegacyLegacy

• The pathology approach: view that clients become clients because they have deficits, problems, pathologies, and diseases -that they are flawed and weak

• The diction and symbolism of weakness/deficit shape how others regard clients, how they regard themselves, etc..

• Diagnostic labels of all kinds become “master statuses” which potentially obscures or displace other relevant information about the client

The Pathology ApproachThe Pathology Approach

• Person is a “case” or a “diagnosis”

• Intervention is problem focused

• The expert interprets the client’s story to arrive at a diagnosis

• Childhood trauma predicts later pathology

• Practitioner develops a treatment plan for the individual

• Professional is expert concerning client’s life

• The skills of the professional are the primary resource for the work to be done

Insight –Recognition of Condition Independence –Autonomy Relationships –Bonding Initiative –Self-Confidence Creativity –Self Expression Humor Morality –Commitment to fairness

The Strengths Perspective

• Person is unique with talents and resources

• Intervention is possibility focused

• The practitioner knows the client through their interpretation of events and meanings -not ours

• Childhood trauma may contribute to strengths or weaknesses of the individual

• Client’s, families, and communities’ aspirations are the focus of the work to be done

• Individuals, families, and communities are viewed as the experts

• Help focused on getting on with one’s life (Saleebey1996)

The Strengths Approach: Six PrinciplesThe Strengths Approach: Six Principles

The focus of the helping process is on the strengths, interests, abilities, knowledge and capacities of each person, not on their diagnosis, weaknesses or deficits

The relationship between consumers and workers becomes an essential part of the helping process

The people we are privileged to work with are considered directors of the helping process

The Strengths Approach: Six Principles The Strengths Approach: Six Principles (continued)(continued)

All human beings possess the inherent capacity to learn, grow, and change

The helping activities in this approach are designed to occur in the community -not in the confines of the building

The entire community is viewed as an oasis of potential resources to enlist on behalf of consumers -especially naturally occurring resources (Saleebey, 1997)

Cultural StrengthsCultural Strengths

• What are they?• How do we find out

what cultural dynamics are present in the life of an individual that may assist in furthering success?

• How do we mobilize these cultural dynamics?

• How do we overcome systems that were never designed to be culturally inclusive?

o Touching of one’s hair by another is a sign of affection.

o Preference is for direct eye contact during listening & indirect eye contact during speaking as signs of attention & respect.

o Public behavior is expected to be modest and emotionally restrained. Emotional displays are seen as irresponsible or in bad taste.

o Heated arguments are viewed as suggesting that violence is imminent.

o Inquiring about jobs, family, etc., of someone one had met for the first time is seen as friendly.

o Rules of turn-taking in conversation dictate that one person at a time has the floor until all…points are made.

o Use of expression “you people” is tolerated.

BLACKS WHITES (Anglo-Saxons)

o Touching of one’s hair by another person is often considered as offensive.

o Preference is for indirect eye contact during listening, direct eye contact during speaking as signs of attentiveness and respect.

o Public behavior may be emotionally intense, dynamic, and demonstrative.

o A clear distinction is made between “arguing” & “fighting”. Verbal abuse is not necessary a precursor to violence.

o Asking “personal questions” of someone has met for the first time is seen as improper and intrusive.

o Interruption during conversation is usually tolerated. Competition for the floor is granted to person who is the most assertive.

o Use of expression “you people” is seen as pejorative and racist. Koslow, Dianne & Elizabeth P. Salett (1989) Crossing Cultures in Mental

Health

Overcoming cultural variations in working with Drug Court

participants

• Become aware of the historical and current experiences of being a person of color in America

• Consider values and cultural differences among ethnic groups and how your own personal values influence the way you interact with the client

• Consider the way your personal values influence the way you view both the presenting problem and the goals for treatment.

• Include the value system of the client in the goal-setting process. Be sensitive to spiritual values and the value of the family and the church

Be sensitive to variations due to stress and historical trauma, and be flexible enough to accept these variations

Be aware of ineffective verbal/nonverbal communication (as result of cultural variations in communication). Become familiar with nonstandard English, and accept its use by clients

Be aware that your target population might become so narrow that it is exclusive rather than inclusive

Consider the client’s problem in the large context. Include extended family, other significant individuals and the community

Consider how to make the program attractive to people of color

Be aware of the client’s racial identification, and do not feel threatened by the client’s cultural identification with his own race

Learn to acknowledge and be comfortable with the client’s cultural differences

Consider the appropriateness of specific therapeutic models or interventions to people of color. Do not apply interventions without considering the unique aspects of each client

100 Black Men

Black Fraternities

Men’s Faith-based Groups

Men in Recovery

Treatment Alumni

HEAT (Habilitation Enhancement Accountability Therapy)

Enhance African/Black self consciousness◦ Holistic not individualistic

Recognize and utilize the history of the Black experience in America

Manhood/Womanhood training and rites of passage programs

Music Address the difficult issues (not confront) Address racial trauma (historical)

◦ Racial profiling, Oppression, Skin color

A sanctuary for a people who seek refuge from the day to day pressures of life.

The focal point of virtually many movements for change that affects their communities.

Confronts problems such as family instability, youth development, AIDS and other health issues.

The church continues to play its traditional role of welcoming the entire community

Few tested models of culturally competent substance abuse treatment & prevention for Latinos.

Gap between “research” and “practice.” Adaptation or Tailoring of models developed

for the dominant population. Cultural specific models -Includes immigration experience. -Process of adaptation (or not) -Minority Status Stress -Historical trauma theory

Contact: Darryl Turpin MPA, CADC

Pinwheel Group darrylturpin@yahoo.com

502-558-1224

This project was supported by Grant No. 2012-DC-BX-K004 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the SMART Office, and the Office for Victims of Crime. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not represent the official position or policies of the United States Department of Justice.