Anti-racism and substance use treatment: Addiction does not discriminate, but do we?

Abstract

Contemporary racism in the United States contributes to health, mental health, and substance use disorder (SUD) disparities among People of Color (POC) compared with White individuals. Despite entering into substance use treatment with a greater severity of SUD and related consequences, POC experience more barriers to treatment engagement, completion, and satisfaction than their White counterparts. As substance use treatment counselors are socialized within institutions of systemic racism, it is important to examine their positioning on racism in relation to their capacity for culturally competent care. This article articulates a need to implement an antiracist framework for substance use treatment.