NEPA Presidential Address:
The Nature and Treatment Implications of the Association of Psychosocial, Legal, and Work Difficulties for Latino Men Admitted to a Residential Substance Use Treatment Program

Leonard A. Doerfler, Ph.D.
Assumption College.

Individuals who use illicit drugs like heroin and other opiates or cocaine often experience a wide range of psychological and interpersonal problems. Use of these drugs can also lead to serious legal and work-related problems. However, substance use treatment (often referred to as addiction counseling) often addresses only individuals’ drug use, essentially ignoring other psychological disorders that are present. This presentation will examine the nature and extent of psychosocial problems in a sample of 100 men who had been admitted to a bicultural, bilingual residential substance use treatment program for Latino men. The treatment implications of these findings will be discussed.