Degree Received
Ph.D., University of New Mexico, 2001

Research Interests
My training and research interests have centered on substance abuse problems and recovery with an emphasis on Native Americans. My work has involved testing the cross-cultural applicability of addiction models developed with predominantly Anglo male samples. My grants focus on improving substance abuse treatment for Native Americans by two routes: collecting success stories of recovery and adapting efficacious substance abuse treatment in partnership with Native Americans. A manual to guide the practice of motivational interviewing with Native clients will be completed by January of 2006 and available to counselors and researchers from the CASAA website (www.casaa.unm.edu). My next projects will involve collecting a control group of Native Americans still struggling with alcohol dependence and conducting a controlled clinical trial for Native Americans with substance dependence.

• Miller, W. R., Hendrickson, S., Venner, K. L., Bisonó, A., Dougherty, M., Yahne, C. (in press). Cross cultural training in motivational interviewing. Journal of Teaching in the Addictions, 7.
• Venner, K. L., Feldstein, S. W., & Tafoya, N. (in press). Helping Clients Feel Welcome: Principles of Adapting Treatment Cross-Culturally. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly.
• Venner, K. L., Wall, T. L., Lau, P., & Ehlers, C. L. (2006). Testing of an orthogonal measure of cultural identification with an adult Native American sample. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 12, 632-643.
• Feldstein, S. W., Venner, K. L., & May, P. A. (2006). American Indian/Alaska Native Alcohol-Related Incarceration and Treatment. American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research: The journal of the national center, 13, 1-22.
• Venner, K. L., & Feldstein, S. W. (2006). Natural history of alcohol dependence and recovery events for a Native American sample. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 67, 675-684.
• Venner, K. L., Matzger, H., Forcehimes, A. A., Moos, R. H., Feldstein, S. W., Willenbring, M. L., & Weisner, C. (2006). The course of recovery from alcoholism. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 30, 1079 - 1090.
• Walker, D. D., Venner, K. L., Hill, D. E., Meyers, R. J., & Miller, W. R. (2004). A comparison of alcohol and drug disorders: Is there evidence for a developmental sequence of drug abuse? Addictive Behaviors, 29, 817-824.
• Venner, K. L. (2002). Cultural identification as related to drinking practices among Mission Indians. Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: The Sciences & Engineering: 62(11-B): 5397.
• Venner, K. L., & Miller, W. R. (2001). Progression of alcohol problems and recovery in a Navajo sample. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 62, 158-165.
• Miller, W. R., & Willoughby*, K. V. (1997). Designing effective alcohol treatment systems for rural populations: Cross-cultural perspectives. Award for Excellence Monograph. Rockville, MD: Center for Substance Abuse Treatment.

  * now Venner