The allow the participant to feel less of a participant and more of a casual conversation team member which in turn may open the lines of communication and provide a more thorough examination of the issue being studied. For the purpose of this study the researcher believes that a case study method is the most valuable tool to use. POPULATION

The sampling of participants will be derived from Native Americans between the ages of 16 and 45. The participants will be located through their entrance and admittance to local health care facilities with alcohol being listed as an issue in their lives or health needs.

The population will be Native Americans entering health care facilities while the participant group will be those who have documented alcohol consumption in excess of once a week, or said that they participate in binge drinking.

Incoming patients who meet this criteria and agree to become part of a case study examination will make up the participant group of study.

The case study will seek to discover what if any the most effective treatment is for alcoholism among the Native American population. In addition it will address the question about current treatment modalities and seek to determine whether current methods of treatment for alcoholism are effective.

DATA COLLECTION

The data will be collected through interviews, questionnaires and document examination. The interviews will be set up with the participant...

The interview will be a question and answer period surrounding the use of alcohol and any previously attempted methods of treatment. The participant will be asked to sign a waiver of release for previous medical records so that the researcher can locate previous attempts at medical treatment for alcohol abuse. In addition to the question and answer period during the interview the participant will be engaged in relaxed conversation for the purpose of gaining additional insight to the alcohol issue and the participants views about traditional treatment methods.
The interviews will include questions about family and peer pressure and whether it has an impact on drinking. It will also include the spiritual side of the culture and its impact on drinking or not drinking.

It is through the use of a case study method that the researcher hopes to discover whether current alcohol abuse treatment methods are effective and if not why elements should go into the future design and implementation of a treatment for alcoholism among Native Americans.

LIMITATIONS

Limitations of this method for research include the reliance on the honesty of the participant in answering the questions and the fact that body language and other elements may influence the mindset of the researcher in interpreting the answers being given. Care should be taken to protect the integrity of the study by working to remain objective in the analysis.