Park Avenue Center defines culturally specific treatment as the creation of an environment in which the identity and experience of a specific group or culture is recognized, explored, and accepted while treating their substance addiction. What makes these programs different from non-culturally specific traditional programs is the ability to talk about race and the issues and pain that have arisen. The safe atmosphere allows African Americans to heal and build a stronger positive cultural identity.
Clients are empowered to overcome their sense of victimization by acknowledging the historical context of the pain while instilling a sense of empowerment and developing new behavioral methods to cope. Specific issues addressed in these programs are historical perspectives, cultural pain, family of origin issues, the culture of poverty, spirituality, anger management, domestic violence, and trauma and victimization. In addition, clients participate in and benefit from traditional treatment topics such as relapse prevention planning, crisis intervention, and the development of a sober support network. Our African-American specific programming is available for the Men’s Primary program and for the Men’s and Women’s Co-Occurring Disorders programs.