Evaluating Motivational Enhancement Therapy adherence and competence among Spanish-speaking therapists

Author(s)

Elizabeth J. Santa Ana
Kathleen M. Carroll, Yale University School of Medicine
Luis M. Anez, Yale University School of MedicineFollow
Manuel Paris Jr., Yale University School of Medicine
Samuel A. Ball, Yale University School of MedicineFollow
Charla Nich, Yale University School of Medicine
Tami L. Frankforter, Yale University School of MedicineFollow
Lourdes Suarez-Morales, Nova Southeastern UniversityFollow
Jose Szapocznik,, University of Miami
Steve Martino, Yale University School of Medicine

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

ISSN

0376-8716

Publication Date

7-2009

Abstract

Despite the fact that the number of Hispanic individuals in need of treatment for substance use problems is increasing internationally, no studies have investigated the extent to which therapists can provide empirically supported treatments to Spanish-speaking clients with adequate fidelity. Twenty-three bilingual Hispanic therapists from five community outpatient treatment programs in the United States were randomly assigned to deliver either three sessions of motivational enhancement therapy (MET) or an equivalent number of drug counseling-as-usual (CAU) sessions in Spanish to 405Spanish-speaking clients randomly assigned to these conditions. Independent ratings of 325 sessions indicated the adherence/competence rating system had good to excellent interrater reliability and indicated strong support for an a priori defined fundamental MET skill factor. Support for an advanced MET skill factor was relatively weaker. The rating scale indicated significant differences in therapists' MET adherence and competenceacross conditions. These findings indicate that the rating system has promise for assessing the performance of therapists who deliver MET in Spanish and suggest that bilingual Spanish-speaking therapists from the community can be trained to implement MET with adequate fidelity and skill using an intensive multisite training and supervision model.

DOI

10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2009.03.006

Volume

103

Issue

1-2

First Page

44

Last Page

51

NSUWorks Citation

Santa Ana, E. J., Carroll, K. M., Anez, L. M., Paris, M., Ball, S. A., Nich, C., Frankforter, T. L., Suarez-Morales, L., Szapocznik,, J., Martino, S. (2009). Evaluating Motivational Enhancement Therapy adherence and competence among Spanish-speaking therapists. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 103(1-2), 44-51.
Available at: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/cps_facarticles/294