For native youth growing up in cities, feelings of isolation and lack of cultural identity can put them at greater risk for making unhealthy choices, including the use of alcohol and other drugs. To address these risk factors, the Native American Health Center (NAHC) sought to create an opportunity where local youth could come together […]
Transition aged
IMARA: Family-based HIV Prevention Program for African American Teens and their Mothers
Informed, Motivated, Aware, and Responsible about AIDS (IMARA) is a family-based HIV prevention program that helps African American teenagers and their mothers work together to address risk behavior, improve parent-teen communication, and practice conflict resolution. IMARA aims to reduce the incidence of HIV in black female populations through strengthening family relationships and reducing sexual behavior […]
Five Signs of Emotional Suffering in Nepali Language: A Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Toolkit
As the Behavioral Health Research Lead from the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, Dr. Surendra Bir Adhikari led the Nepali translation of Five Signs of Emotional Suffering outreach toolkit in collaborative partnership with the Bhutanese Community of Central Ohio and Campaign to Change Direction, with support of Office of Behavioral Health Equity, Substance […]
PHAT Life: Effective HIV Intervention for Youth in the Criminal Justice System
Annually, over 1 million youth are involved in the American juvenile justice system. They experience more mental illness, substance abuse, and sexually transmitted infections than their non-adjudicated peers. However, few evidence-based interventions exist to address these problems. Led by Geri Donenberg, Ph.D., University of Illinois, Chicago (UIC), a randomized trial called PHAT Life: Preventing HIV/AIDS Among Teens, […]
The Value of Peer Support
When youth witness or experience a horrible event, they often do not have words to help make sense of what is happening and do not realize the potential for long lasting effects. It can be challenging to ask for help. As a result, youth often work to make sense of it alone. Managing these challenging […]
Yup’ik Communities Turn to Indigenous Knowledge to Prevent Risk for Youth Suicide and Alcohol Abuse
Culture plays a substantial role in reducing disparities among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations; experts acknowledge culture’s critical importance to intervention success and sustainability. Yet many questions remain about the mechanisms that produce this protective effect. For more than a decade, researchers at the Center for Alaska Native Health Research have been collaborating […]