| Popis: |
Publisher Summary This chapter begins with a discussion of general factors that might impact the assessment and treatment of American Indians and Alaska Natives. The history of American Indians and Alaska Natives is briefly summarized and followed by a description of the unique demographic, socioeconomic, and health characteristics of the population. Some common cultural values among American Indians and Alaska Natives are then outlined. The chapter concludes with a shift to specific recommendations and guidelines to aid clinicians in accurately assessing and successfully treating their Indian and Native clientele. Given the lack of transportation as well as the distances between clinics and clients' homes, the first step in treatment with American Indians and Alaska Natives should be to identify where intervention should occur. In addition, because of the cultural emphasis on others, family or group therapy might fit better with an Indian or Native client's background and expectations than individual treatment. Another suggestion is that clinicians working with American Indians and Alaska Natives should spend as much time discussing areas of strength as areas of pathology. |
