An Empirically Supported and Culturally Specific Engagement and Intervention Strategy for African American Adolescent Males

The need for effective culturally responsive treatments has become more urgent as the number of ethnic minority clients continues to increase. Previous research with a clinically referred sample of substance-abusing African American inner-city teenagers found that treatment engagement increased when cultural content was incorporated in the therapeutic process (Jackson-Gilfort, Liddle, Tejeda, & Dakof, 2001). This article amplifies these findings by offering clinical guidelines for how to develop and implement culturally specific interventions that contribute to the therapeutic engagement of African American adolescent males. Clinical outcomes may be improved by integrating culturally responsive intervention methods within a multisystemic approach to the adolescent’s treatment. Family therapy has a rich tradition of shaping treatments ac-cording to the cultural characteristics of diverse client populations (Falicov, 1983; McGoldrick, Pearce, & Giordano, 1996). Systemic conceptualizations and therapy methods have been tailored to the life experiences of different cultural groups and to the practical needs of the clinical situation (Montalvo & Gutierrez, 1983; Sluzki, 1979). Family therapists also have defined methods of teaching a cultural perspective to new therapists (Falicov, 1988). Working in these traditions, as well as within a treatment devel-opment framework (Kazdin, 1982), this article addresses engage-ment strategies developed to address the characteristics and needs of a particular cultural group, African American adolescent males. Engaging clinically referred, juvenile-justice-involved, African American adolescent males in family therapy is a challenging task for many therapists (Kazdin, Stolar, & Marciano, 1995; Rowe & Grills, 1993). Advances in the field include the articulation and testing of culturally specific interventions for African America