Santisteban Honored for Research
 

aniel A. Santisteban, Ph.D., associate professor of research in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences’ Center for Family Studies, recently received the prestigious Distinguished Contribution to Family Systems Research Award from the American Family Therapy Academy. Founded in 1977, the American Family Therapy Academy is a non-profit organization of leading family therapy teachers, clinicians, program developers, researchers, and social scientists dedicated to advancing systemic thinking and practices for families.

Santisteban’s research focuses on the enhancement of family treatment for substance-abusing adolescents, such as addressing co-occurring psychiatric disorders, articulating relevant cultural issues, and the development of a “flexible” treatment manual tailored to the unique characteristics of Hispanic substance-abusing kids and their families.

“In work with Hispanics, you must understand the impact of certain unique stressors,” Santisteban says. “For example, Hispanic children separated from their parents during immigration can develop attachment problems.” Santisteban notes a child’s success may depend on how well the parents help the child through this process. Parental leadership in the face of stressors can help prevent or modify adolescents’ problems.

Santisteban also factors in world-views related to ethnicity.“There are many views and beliefs related to being Hispanic that can directly impact whether people engage and remain in counseling,” he says. “It is the therapist’s job to understand those positions and, using that same framework, help families understand how counseling can help.”