Abstract
This paper is a collaborative effort between Tina Everhart and Benet Guidera. Benet was the lead writer for chapter three of the project, while Tina was the primary writer on chapter two. Both researchers worked equally on chapters one, four and five and all the subsequent revisions of the five chapters. The purpose of this study was to better understand the importance of cultural competence when treating individuals struggling with substance abuse addiction and how that treatment affects outcomes. This was a quantitative descriptive survey research design utilizing a convenient sampling method of 49 substance abuse counselors. This study examined the relationship between cultural competency in recovery programs and treatment outcomes. A statistically significant relationship was found between positive treatment outcomes and the agency’s utilization of bilingual interpreters when working with non-English speaking clients. No other statistically significant relationships emerged. Future research is important to understand culturally competent substance abuse treatment. Implications for multi-level social work practice are discussed.