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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2012 Apr 24.
Published in final edited form as: Cultur Divers Ethnic Minor Psychol. 2012 Apr;18(2):192–202. doi: 10.1037/a0027751

Table 2.

Staff and Client Focus Group Themes

Focus Group Section Staff/Counselors Clients
Acceptability and Feasibility
  • Clients are resistant at program entry.

  • Counselors develop rapport with client by removing labels and judgment.

  • Facilitator should be non-judgmental, and assist, rather than direct, the client’s decision-making.

Comments about the Feedback sheet
  • Blood Alcohol content (BAC) information is only convincing when it is associated with consequences.

  • Talking about consequences can be helpful if the client can relate to the consequences.

  • The sheet is not well organized.

  • Charts are difficult to understand.

  • The definition of BAC is not clear.

  • The reasons to drink vary over time and from person to person.

  • Need to distinguish long and short-term consequences.

Cultural considerations
  • Language must follow the clients’ preferences.

  • Latinos tend to be “ashamed” to talk about their drinking during the group discussions.

  • There are similar reasons to drink across groups.

  • For Spanish-speaking clients, drinking with friends is an important reason to drink.

  • For Spanish-speaking clients, reasons to stop drinking are to be accepted by one’s family and to be a good role model.