Community-based Participatory Research Intervention Research Articles

Development of a family-level intervention for families with transgender and/or nonbinary youth: Lessons and recommendations.

Family support plays an important role in promoting resilience and health among transgender and/or nonbinary youth (TNBY), but family members often experience barriers to supporting their TNBY, including minority-adjacent stress stemming from exposure to structural stigma and antitransgender legislation. TNBY and their families need effective family-level interventions developed using community-based participatory research (CBPR), which integrates community members (e.g., TNBY, family members, service providers for families with TNBY) into the intervention development process to ensure the resulting intervention is relevant and useful. Informed by findings from the Trans Teen and Family Narratives Project, we used CBPR to develop the Trans Teen and Family Narratives Conversation Toolkit, a family-level intervention designed to educate families about TNBY and facilitate conversations about gender. The toolkit was developed across 1.5 years (June 2019 to January 2021) using four integrated phases: (1) content development: digital storytelling workshop with TNBY; (2) content review: digital storyteller interviews and user focus groups; (3) content development: study team content synthesis and website development; and (4) content review: website review by TNBY, family members, and mental health providers, and intervention refinement. This article outlines the intervention development process, describes strategies employed to navigate challenges encountered along the way, and shares key learnings to inform future CBPR intervention development efforts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

"That's like therapy"-A qualitative study on socially disadvantaged women's views on the effects of a community-based participatory research project on their health and health behavior.

Regular physical activity has positive effects on both physical and mental health. Nevertheless, socially disadvantaged women are often insufficiently physically active. Through needs-based physical activity offers, community-based participatory research (CBPR) projects have the potential to reach these women and increase the effectiveness of physical activity interventions by supporting women's empowerment, health, and health behaviors. This study aimed to examine socially disadvantaged women's views on the effects of long-term participation in Bewegung als Investition in Gesundheit (BIG, i.e., movement as an investment in health), a long-standing German CBPR project, on their health and health behavior. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 30 participating women at five BIG sites across Germany between April and August 2022. The interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using framework analysis. Women reported that participation in BIG classes contributed to their physical, mental, and social health. For many women, the positive effects on their mental and social wellbeing were most important. In addition to increased fitness and improved physical endurance, many participating women were able to expand their social networks, thus receiving further social support, and improve their self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-efficacy. Furthermore, participation in BIG physical activity classes positively influenced the health awareness of many women helping them to improve their activity level and diet over time. Our results suggest that CBPR projects, such as the BIG project, can increase physical activity among socially disadvantaged groups and contribute to their overall health and wellbeing. CBPR projects could thus be considered a key element of health promotion for this target group. Future interventional research is required to confirm and further explore the effects of CBPR interventions and to examine whether the effects can be replicated in other settings.

Association of the Stroke Ready Community-Based Participatory Research Intervention With Incidence of Acute Stroke Thrombolysis in Flint, Michigan

Acute stroke treatment rates in the US lag behind those in other high-income nations. To assess whether a hospital emergency department (ED) and community intervention was associated with an increased proportion of patients with stroke receiving thrombolysis. This nonrandomized controlled trial of the Stroke Ready intervention took place in Flint, Michigan, from October 2017 to March 2020. Participants included adults living in the community. Data analysis was completed from July 2022 to May 2023. Stroke Ready combined implementation science and community-based participatory research approaches. Acute stroke care was optimized in a safety-net ED, and then a community-wide, theory-based health behavior intervention, including peer-led workshops, mailers, and social media, was conducted. The prespecified primary outcome was the proportion of patients hospitalized with ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack from Flint who received thrombolysis before and after the intervention. The association between thrombolysis and the Stroke Ready combined intervention, including the ED and community components, was estimated using logistic regression models, clustering at the hospital level and adjusting for time and stroke type. In prespecified secondary analyses, the ED and community intervention were explored separately, adjusting for hospital, time, and stroke type. In total, 5970 people received in-person stroke preparedness workshops, corresponding to 9.7% of the adult population in Flint. There were 3327 ischemic stroke and TIA visits (1848 women [55.6%]; 1747 Black individuals [52.5%]; mean [SD] age, 67.8 [14.5] years) among patients from Flint seen in the relevant EDs, including 2305 in the preintervention period from July 2010 to September 2017 and 1022 in the postintervention period from October 2017 to March 2020. The proportion of thrombolysis usage increased from 4% in 2010 to 14% in 2020. The combined Stroke Ready intervention was not associated with thrombolysis use (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.13; 95% CI, 0.74-1.70; P = .58). The ED component was associated with an increase in thrombolysis use (adjusted OR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.04-2.56; P = .03), but the community component was not (adjusted OR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.96-1.01; P = .30). This nonrandomized controlled trial found that a multilevel ED and community stroke preparedness intervention was not associated with increased thrombolysis treatments. The ED intervention was associated with increased thrombolysis usage, suggesting that implementation strategies in partnership with safety-net hospitals may increase thrombolysis usage. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT036455900.

P142 Partnering with Student Advisory Board to Determine Campus CBPR Intervention Using Nominal Group Technique

<h3>Background</h3> Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) for college community health programming may improve participant engagement and empower the local community to assist in research to make a positive impact. To develop programming, nominal group technique (NGT) is used to streamline the productivity of group brainstorming to identify key components of programming. <h3>Objective</h3> To establish intervention programming options based on importance to college student health and well-being as decided by community group. <h3>Study Design, Settings, Participants</h3> NGT was used with ten university students using a series of questions to facilitate the group to discuss, and narrow programming choices. Five questions were discussed to determine programming details. <h3>Measurable Outcome/Analysis</h3> Five questions were used to reduce options and rank the importance of programming details. Upon completion of the NGT workshop, the final ranked importance of each question was determined to finalize intervention program. From each of the five questions, the list of brainstormed ideas was narrowed down to three key points. <h3>Results</h3> Findings from the NGT included interventions recruitment methods to include incentives for participants, convenience of program events, and personal benefits. Frequency of intervention program interaction was decided to be approximately twice per month on weekday afternoons. Overarching intervention topics were decided upon as nutrition knowledge and skills and increased awareness of campus resources. Regarding mode of delivery, participants decided both be in-person and mobile delivery to be used. Finally, intervention components to achieve overarching goals were decided to include a meal-prep and nutrition education workshop and partnerships with organizations on campus to enhance communication of campus resources via text messaging. <h3>Conclusions</h3> The use of the NGT was determined to be an effective method of brainstorming, narrowing down, and finally agreeing upon programming details guided using data from previously conducted CBPR. These findings suggest that NGT may be used by groups in the future to brainstorm and narrow down ideas in a group workshop setting. <h3>Funding</h3> NIFA

Determinants of Relapse and Opportunities for Growth: Perspectives on Substance Use among American Indian Community Members

ABSTRACT Resulting from generations of historical oppression and systemic racism, American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities experience serious health disparities associated with substance use disorders (SUDs). As part of a longstanding community-based participatory research intervention development project, our partnership of academic and community co-researchers conducted seven focus groups (N = 35) to understand community stakeholders’ perspectives on substance use, relapse, and recovery on a rural AI reservation. Participants included cultural leaders (n = 10), SUD treatment providers (n = 5), people with SUD (n = 10), and affected family members (n = 10). Cultural leaders viewed relapse as symptomatic of historical oppression, whereas other stakeholder groups attributed relapse to individual and interpersonal risk factors such as peer influence, lack of family support, and traumatic stress. All participant groups recognized relapse as a normative aspect of recovering from SUD that presents new opportunities for learning and growth. Specifically, regaining humility, learning to ask for help, recognizing one’s triggers, and strengthening commitment to change were identified as learning outcomes for people with SUD. For family members, relapse provided the opportunity to practice forgiveness and compassion, two important cultural values. All groups emphasized the importance of grounding interventions in cultural values and traditions.

Sustaining CBPR Projects: Lessons Learned Developing Latina Community Groups

A significant challenge to community-based participatory research (CBPR) is establishing sustainable change as research projects and funding end. Building capacity among community members is one mechanism through which CBPR interventions can be made sustainable. This paper provides a case study reflecting on the development of two Latina community groups in two distinct neighborhoods located in suburban Charlotte, North Carolina, one of the country’s emerging 21st century immigrant gateways. Analyzing our process through the lens of four community group development stages, we critically explore our efforts to build capacity and ensure sustainability. We also assess how community members may or may not become ‘empowered’ through CBPR interventions to continue the efforts once the research ends. By identifying both the successes and failures of our work, we aim to provide a series of guidelines that other CBPR teams might adopt as they work to build capacity among similarly vulnerable populations and construct sustainable interventions at the neighborhood scale.

Narrative frames as choice over structure of American Indian sexual and reproductive health consequences of historical trauma.

Emerging evidence suggests that the historical trauma associated with settler colonialism affects the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) of American Indian (AI) communities today. This article examines how one AI community narratively frames the influence of historical trauma within the context of community-based participatory research (CBPR) and the implications of this framing for health behaviours, internalized oppression, SRH outcomes, and future CBPR interventions. We found that AIs framed the SRH consequences of historical trauma with renderings that favoured personal choice over structural explanations. Our findings suggest future interventions could: (1) include educational components on historical trauma and the continued role settler colonialism plays in structural violence against AI bodies and communities; and (2) recognize the role that the individualized logic of westernized/white culture may play in the erasure of traditional collectivist AI culture, internalized oppression, and SRH.

Promoting healthy futures in a rural refugee resettlement location: A community-based participatory research intervention

The resettlement of refugees in rural areas is presenting new challenges for healthcare. This article reports on a community-based participatory research project that explored understandings of health and care across the life course in a refugee-background community in regional south-east Australia. Participants identified key challenges, including lack of access to local services that address their complex needs and problems created by communicating across languages, cultures, and ontologies. Clear opportunities were identified for improving local health services to meet the needs of refugee-background communities. Building on participant recommendations, we argue that appropriate, high-quality healthcare requires the cultivation of dialogue and respect across different understandings of health and care. We suggest that approaches grounded in an ethos of collaboration, power-sharing and dialogue provide a way forward, not just for research, but for embedding practices of cultural safety in rural and regional resettlement.

Project HAPPY: A Community Based Participatory Research Intervention Addressing HIV Prevention in Black Youth

Project HAPPY was a CBPR prevention intervention for Black youth (14 - 18) that compared four intervention groups: Becoming a Responsible Team (BART), HIV-RAAP (HIV/AIDS Risk Reduction Among Heterosexually Active African American Men and Women: A Risk Reduction Prevention Intervention), and two newly developed curriculums that incorporated social media, DHAB A and DHAB B (Decreasing HIV/AIDS Boldly). We examined the effects of the intervention on condom use attitudes, condom use self-efficacy, and HIV prevention attitudes. The analyses of 175 participants demonstrated significant positive effects of all the interventions on HIV prevention attitudes, and condom use attitudes, while there was a positive effect for the BART intervention on condom use self-efficacy. The BART intervention also demonstrated significant positive effects on condom use self-efficacy when compared to the DHAB B intervention. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated a significant effect for gender on HIV prevention attitudes and a significant effect for age on condom use attitudes.

Community-Based Participatory Research Interventions to Improve Diabetes Outcomes: A Systematic Review.

The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic evaluation of community-based participatory research (CBPR) interventions on diabetes outcomes. Understanding of effective CBPR interventions on diabetes outcomes is limited, and findings remain unclear. A reproducible search strategy was used to identify studies testing CBPR interventions to improve diabetes outcomes, including A1C, fasting glucose, blood pressure, lipids, and quality of life. Pubmed, PsychInfo, and CINAHL were searched for articles published between 2010 and 2020. Using a CBPR continuum framework, studies were classified based on outreach, consulting, involving, collaborating, and shared leadership. A total of 172 were screened, and a title search was conducted to determine eligibility. A total of 16 articles were included for synthesis. Twelve out of the 16 studies using CBPR approaches for diabetes interventions demonstrated statistically significant differences in 1 or more diabetes outcomes measured at a postintervention time point. Studies across the spectrum of CBPR demonstrated statistically significant improvements in diabetes outcomes. Of the 16 studies included for synthesis, 14 demonstrated statistically significant changes in A1C, fasting glucose, blood pressure, lipids, and quality of life. The majority of studies used community health workers (CHWs) to deliver interventions across group and individual settings and demonstrated significant reductions in diabetes outcomes. The evidence summarized in this review shows the pivotal role that CHWs and diabetes care and education specialists play in not only intervention delivery but also in the development of outward-facing diabetes care approaches that are person- and community-centered.

Community-engaged and community-based participatory research to promote American Heart Association Life's Simple 7 among African American adults: A systematic review.

BackgroundCardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States and African Americans (AA) have a disproportionately greater burden of CVD as compared to Whites. The American Heart Association (AHA) Life’s Simple 7 (LS7) framework outlines goals for attaining ideal cardiovascular health. Yet, there is a lack of evidence summarizing best practices to maximize LS7 attainment. The objective of the present study was to systematically review the extant peer-reviewed literature on community-engaged and community-based participatory research (CBPR) aimed at improving one or more LS7 metrics among AA.MethodsPubMed, CINAHL, and Embase databases were searched. We included articles that reported quantitative results for one or more of the following LS7 metrics: physical activity, diet, cholesterol, blood pressure, body mass index, smoking, and glycemia. We included analyses with a greater than 50% AA study population focused on adults (≥18 years of age).ResultsOf the 1008 unique studies identified, 54 met inclusion criteria; 27 of which were randomized controlled trials. 50% of studies assessed more than one LS7 metric but only two studies evaluated all seven of the LS7 metrics. No studies had a high proportion of AA males. 40 studies improved at least one LS7 metric at the study end-point. Formative research was used in many studies to guide intervention design. Studies were of varying quality, but overall rated “fair” using a modified approach to the National Institute of Health quality assessment tool.ConclusionThere is insufficient data to recommend a specific community-engaged or CBPR intervention to improve attainment of LS7 metrics among AA. Future studies using rigorous methodology with increased gender diversity and utilizing the AHA LS7 framework are required to establish a validated program to improve LS7 in AAs.

Communities for Healthy Living (CHL) A Community-based Intervention to Prevent Obesity in Low-Income Preschool Children: Process Evaluation Protocol

BackgroundProcess evaluation can illuminate barriers and facilitators to intervention implementation as well as the drivers of intervention outcomes. However, few obesity intervention studies have documented process evaluation methods and results. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) requires that process evaluation methods be developed to (a) prioritize community members’ power to adapt the program to local needs over strict adherence to intervention protocols, (b) share process evaluation data with implementers to maximize benefit to participants, and (c) ensure partner organizations are not overburdened. Co-designed with low-income parents using CBPR, Communities for Healthy Living (CHL) is a family-centered intervention implemented within Head Start to prevent childhood obesity and promote family well-being. We are currently undertaking a randomized controlled trial to test the effectiveness of CHL in 23 Head Start centers in the greater Boston area. In this protocol paper, we outline an embedded process evaluation designed to monitor intervention adherence and adaptation, support ongoing quality improvement, and examine contextual factors that may moderate intervention implementation and/or effectiveness.MethodsThis mixed methods process evaluation was developed using the Pérez et al. framework for evaluating adaptive interventions and is reported following guidelines outlined by Grant et al. Trained research assistants will conduct structured observations of intervention sessions. Intervention facilitators and recipients, along with Head Start staff, will complete surveys and semi-structured interviews. De-identified data for all eligible children and families will be extracted from Head Start administrative records. Qualitative data will be analyzed thematically. Quantitative and qualitative data will be integrated using triangulation methods to assess intervention adherence, monitor adaptations, and identify moderators of intervention implementation and effectiveness.DiscussionA diverse set of quantitative and qualitative data sources are employed to fully characterize CHL implementation. Simultaneously, CHL’s process evaluation will provide a case study on strategies to address the challenges of process evaluation for CBPR interventions. Results from this process evaluation will help to explain variation in intervention implementation and outcomes across Head Start programs, support CHL sustainability and future scale-up, and provide guidance for future complex interventions developed using CBPR.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03334669. Registered on October 10, 2017

Fundamentals of Social Identity and Social Justice: Considering Social Identity Within CBPR With Marginalized Populations

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is a research paradigm that works with marginalized populations within health contexts. The partnership between scholars and marginalized populations empowers participants through the pursuit of social justice. However, there has been a cry for standardizing the CBPR approach particularly when working with marginalized populations. Identity is a critical construct to understand within the communities in order to collectively strive towards social justice. This paper examines how social identity theory can aid community-based participatory research teams by a) illustrating how social identity analysis can facilitate the researcher-community partnership, b) applying SIT to better understand community behaviors and norms, and c) using SIT to avoid unintended consequences within CBPR intervention designs. Through understanding identity, relational empowerment can be positively redistributed back to community members. This paper will thus serve as a first step in justifying why more research is needed in incorporating social identity to CBPR intervention designs.

A Controlled Evaluation of a CBPR Intervention's Effects on Physical Activity and the Related Psychosocial Constructs Among Minority Children in an Underserved Community.

Effective physical activity interventions are needed for children because health behaviors track into adulthood, and risk factors for diseases begin early in life. No study has determined whether an intervention designed using a Community-Based Participatory Research approach can improve moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and the related psychosocial constructs in underserved children. This study determined whether improvements in MVPA and related psychosocial constructs (self-efficacy, knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and skills) occurred following a Community-Based Participatory Research intervention in underserved, rural children. It was then determined if these constructs were mediators of MVPA. Two fifth-grade classes at a school (n = 19 and n = 20) were randomly assigned to an intervention or comparison group. The intervention group participated in a 4-week intervention designed to improve MVPA (wGT3X-BT accelerometer; ActiGraph, Pensacola, FL) and the related psychosocial constructs (written survey). Groups were assessed prior to and immediately following the intervention. There were no differences at baseline between groups. MVPA (30.0 [4.4]min), knowledge, and skill scores were significantly higher in the intervention group compared with the comparison group at follow-up (P < .05). Knowledge and skills were mediating variables of MVPA. Priority should be placed on research that determines the sustained impact of similar Community-Based Participatory Research interventions.

NIH-Funded CBPR: Self-Reported Community Partner and Investigator Perspectives.

The community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach across health contexts has matured greatly over the last 20years. Though contributions to the literature on the development and effectiveness of CBPR interventions have grown, the number of publications on the function and evaluation of actual community-research partnerships has not kept pace. To help address that gap, we searched National Institutes of Health archival data and identified a set of 489 CBPR projects including collaboration-building, exploratory/pilot, research, and program project grants. We found community partner contact information commonly was absent from grant records and contacted principal investigators (PIs) for community-partner contact information. Subsequently, we built upon established measures to ask principal investigators and community partners for their perceptions of participation in NIH-funded CBPR projects. Many principal investigators and community partners reported existing collaborations-between academicians and community organizations as well as among community organizations. Partners tended to agree on the appropriateness of funding levels to accomplish projects and on the community partners' ability to recruit and retain participants, collect data, and implement interventions. Partners differed in perceptions of participation in research design, data analyses, manuscript and presentation production, and dissemination of findings. Suggestions include collection of lead community partner information without undue burden and increased standard education and involvement of community organizations in research vocabulary and practices.

CBPR Pilot Intervention: Understanding Social Health Determinants of Mental Health in Rural Latinos

The purpose of this study is to identify challenges and facilitators for interventions on determinants of mental health in the literature and to analyze themes and coping strategies of psychosocial health determinants described by rural Latinos in a church-based intervention. This study was a review of literature and secondary data analysis of an arm of a larger Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) on the mental well-being of rural Latinos in North Florida - a CBPR pilot intervention. It was developed to respond to and prevent social stressors by creating a space where rural Latinos can help one another by sharing their experiences; empowering people to address health determinants that affect their well-being. All data from the pilot intervention was thematically analyzed using NVivo11. Psychosocial determinants of mental health identified in the CBPR intervention were: social environment factors (discrimination, family conflict, social isolation, undocumented status) and health services (uninsured &amp; poor health literacy). Positive coping strategies described by rural Latinos were: avoiding conflictive relationships, alternative medicine, exercise, family &amp; peer support, health education, community social support, instillation of hope, learn English, spirituality and religiosity. Negative coping strategies described were: categorical thinking, isolation, substance abuse.

‘It's like you don't have a roadmap really’: using an antiracism framework to analyze patients’ encounters in the cancer system

ABSTRACT Background: Cancer patients can experience healthcare system-related challenges during the course of their treatment. Yet, little is known about how these challenges might affect the quality and completion of cancer treatment for all patients, and particularly for patients of color. Accountability for Cancer Care through Undoing Racism and Equity is a multi-component, community-based participatory research intervention to reduce Black-White cancer care disparities. This formative work aimed to understand patients’ cancer center experiences, explore racial differences in experiences, and inform systems-level interventions. Methods: Twenty-seven breast and lung cancer patients at two cancer centers participated in focus groups, grouped by race and cancer type. Participants were asked about what they found empowering and disempowering regarding their cancer care experiences. The community-guided analysis used a racial equity approach to identify racial differences in care experiences. Results: For Black and White patients, fear, uncertainty, and incomplete knowledge were disempowering; trust in providers and a sense of control were empowering. Although participants denied differential treatment due to race, analysis revealed implicit Black-White differences in care. Conclusions: Most of the challenges participants faced were related to lack of transparency, such that improvements in communication, particularly two-way communication could greatly improve patients’ interaction with the system. Pathways for accountability can also be built into a system that allows patients to find solutions for their problems with the system itself. Participants’ insights suggest the need for patient-centered, systems-level interventions to improve care experiences and reduce disparities.

Lessons Learned from the Implementation of a Shared Community-Academic HIV Prevention Intervention.

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is used to guide the design and evaluation of programs aimed at addressing complex health issues. Effective administrative management of CBPR projects is essential to ensuring the success and fidelity of these programs. We identify an administrative framework to support the implementation and management of a community- academic CBPR initiative. The Barbershop Talk with Brothers (BTWB) project was a cluster randomized CBPR intervention designed to reduce HIV among high-risk heterosexual men. Eight-hundred sixty men, representing 53 barbershops, participated in the project. The 3Ps framework is defined by 1) partnership, 2) product, and 3) process. We describe the implementation of the 3Ps through applied examples including partnership management strategies, planning of shared resources, and flexible budgeting that can support the unique infrastructure of a shared community-academic project. The 3Ps are a translatable framework for comparable shared community-academic research projects to adopt.

Sistas Inspiring Sistas Through Activity and Support (SISTAS): Study Design and Demographics of Participants.

Recruiting racial, ethnic, and other underserved minorities into conventional clinic-based and other trials is known to be challenging. The Sistas Inspiring Sistas Through Activity and Support (SISTAS) Program was a one-year randomized controlled trial (RCT) to promote physical activity and healthy eating among AA women in SC to reduce inflammatory biomarkers, which are linked to increased breast cancer (BrCa) risk and mortality. This study describes the development, recruitment, and implementation of the SISTAS clinical trial and provides baseline characteristics of the study participants. SISTAS was developed using community-based participatory research (CBPR) approaches. At baseline, study participants completed assessments and underwent clinical measurements and blood draws to measure C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Participants randomized to the intervention received 12 weekly classes followed by nine monthly booster sessions. Post-intervention measurements were assessed at 12-week and 12-month follow-ups. We recruited a total of 337 women who tended to: be middle-aged (mean age 48.2 years); have some college education; be employed full-time; have Medicare as their primary insurance; be non-smokers; and perceive their personal health as good. On average, the women were pre-hypertensive at baseline (mean systolic blood pressure = 133.9 mm Hg; mean diastolic blood pressure = 84.0 mm Hg) and morbidly obese (mean BMI >40.0 kg/m2); the mean fat mass and fat-free mass among participants were 106.4 lb and 121.0 lb, respectively. The SISTAS RCT addresses some of the gaps in the literature with respect to CBPR interventions targeting AA women, such as implementing diet and physical activity in CBPR-based studies to decrease BrCa risk.

A Glass Half Full Not Empty: Strength-Based Practice in Persons with Substance Use Disorders

The strength-based practice highlights the inherent competencies, resources, and values of an individual. While acknowledging underlying problem behaviors, it moves toward identifying potential solutions and meanings an individual holds. It therefore presents an innovative method to working with clients with different mental health concerns, including substance use disorders (SUD) with a focus on building resources. Traditionally, psychosocial interventions in the field of SUD have focused on behavioral management, cognitive approaches and the 12-steps programs. Such approaches have a leaning toward the deficit model and identify underlying pathology seen in addiction. Moving toward a strengths perspective offers possibilities to view one’s self and others in a positive light. In the current report, we present an argument to incorporate strength-based practices such as Motivational Interviewing, Solution-focused family therapy, Family-Centered Practice, Community-Based Participatory Research interventions and Case Management in working with persons with SUD. Specifically, we recommend a therapeutic focus of individual, family and community interventions that intensify movement toward healing by examining variables that instill well-being, while destigmatizing addiction. Secondly, we look at relational research such as social support, social networks and family strengths. Finally, we review aspects of community support groups and access to help that are intertwined within a strengths model.