Through the Diamond Threshold: A Community-based Psycho-Educational Group Training Program for Treatment of Substance Use Disorders Among American Indians

Researchers offer Through the Diamond Threshold, a culturally relevant, community-based training program to increase awareness and promote healing related to substance use disorders (SUD) among American Indians (AIs). For providers, this program seeks to promote greater cultural responsiveness, empathy, cultural humility, and effectiveness in SUD treatment provision. Largely interactive in nature, the activities offer an opportunity for participants to immerse themselves in an AI experience through the use of stories, music, a traditional meal, and experiential exercises. Twenty-six participants (the majority AI) associated with helping professions participated in a two-day program and then met in focus groups to discuss and report their views concerning the effectiveness of the program. Findings suggest that use of an immersive training experience, the centering of AI traditions and collectivism, as well as attention to historical context, were cited as key components in the success of the training. Several AI communities later used the program in a number of different venues and with a variety of participants.