Cultural Competency and Program Development

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What is Recovery?

An essay on the subject of “What is Recovery” raises, for me, the question of what is Addiction. Since everyone of us has an idea, our own idea, of what Addiction is, we'll also have our own answer to “What is Recovery?”

Since we don’t have agreement in our field on what Addiction is, I doubt that we can come up with an easy agreement on what recovery is. I could just tell you my definition of both but my goal is not for us to have a debate over which we can come to a resolution. My goal is that we all look at ourselves and how we got to this question. It may be, that after examining ourselves, we may choose to change the question we ask.

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Cultural Competency and Program Development

Written by Jeff Wilbee, CAE

Tuesday, 31 March 2009 17:00

Bob Dylan sang, “The times they are a changing.” That was true in the 1960s, and it is just as true in 2009. Clearly there is a need to re-think our approach to addiction services — to look at a recovery model versus the acute medical model. That rethink is presently underway. We also have become more conscious of the need to be more culturally competent in the design of our programs. These new times then beg the question: How should a certification body like the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC) respond to these changes?

As I reported in the last issue of Counselor, I had the privilege of attending the Beyond 2008 summit in Vienna, Austria. This summit brought home to me that addictions is a worldwide problem and requires a worldwide solution.

What I found most encouraging, was that 300 delegates reached consensus on three resolutions which included three references to professional development as one of the ways to reduce the harm of substance abuse. IC&RC recognizes there is a need to have universal standards; however, a cookie cutter approach may not be totally appropriate. Our organization is an international one, and our non-North American members have different philosophies about the problem and how best to intervene. Within America, as it is in my own country Canada, a wealth and diversity of cultures exist. For example, our native colleagues have a more oral tradition. This tradition has a great deal to offer, as do all cultures. Traditional ways are different from the mainstream, and testing competencies should accommodate this.

IC&RC has convened a task force made up of First Nations/Native representatives to investigate the issues and opportunities of this significant cultural group. The goal is to come up with ideas on how to best capture those differences and how to measure them. The IC&RC leadership is considering a split exam, an idea that has been received favorably in Sweden, England and Peru. A portion of the questions on the split exam will be standard across all jurisdictions and the remainder will test the candidate’s knowledge and proficiency in his or her particular culture. This requires further thought and it is not without its challenges and complexities. IC&RC’s board has decided that all existing reciprocal level certificants and future successful candidates will be granted an international certificate, reflecting the IC&RC’s commitment to the advancement of workforce development and ensuring professional competencies across the globe.

Effective prevention programs have to be a central part of our arsenal in battling the problem. IC&RC is proud of our Certified Prevention Specialist certification and is planning for its expansion within North America and beyond. But again, we have to consider the realities of culture and particularities of the jurisdictions in which it is practiced. I believe, as do others, that the success of any recovery program has a great deal to do with the quality of its clinical (not administrative) supervision. In my own jurisdiction it is clear we need more trained and certified supervising professionals. This said, certification is dependent on adequate education and training. Over the next few months IC&RC will be putting in a concerted effort to liaise with education and training institutions and professionals.

So yes, the times are changing. IC&RC is on top of those needed changes. I am most interested in your comments. Please email them to me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it C

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