African-centered drug treatment: an alternative conceptual paradigm for drug counseling with African-American clients.

An alternative conceptual framework is presented for understanding the culturally normative behavior of African-Americans in drug abuse treatment and recovery, based on an appreciation of core African-centered beliefs. Key ontological and epistemological assumptions of traditional clinical and counseling interventions are presented that highlight the differences between traditional goals and theories and the proposed alternative conceptual system and treatment strategies. Implications for African-centered treatment and future research on the course of addiction and recovery among African-Americans are discussed.