LOCATION: San Francisco, CA, U.S.A.

ORGANIZATION TYPE: Foundation

FOCUS AREA: Education, Health Care Delivery, Mental health / Psychology, Public Health, Public Policy, Race / Ethnicity, Social Inclusion

HEALTH EQUITY INITIATIVES: There appear to be cultural barriers that inhibit people of color from investing in Twelve Step groups, but leaders of these organizations feel that to validate such racial disparity would divert attention from members’ recovery. Therefore, Third Traditions Foundation has initiated a project to survey leaders of the major Twelve Step service organizations to elicit their perspective on the organization’s Cultural Aptitude. A similar survey will be completed, gathering the perspective of people of color who have attended meetings or participated in the service structure of these organizations. An analysis will be completed that compares the perception of the organizations to the perceptions of those served by the organizations. The analysis will serve as a guide in the development of a Cultural Inclusion model that can be used as a guide by the leadership of Twelve Step service organizations in their efforts to serve diverse populations in a manner that further aids public health.