Assessing Cultures of Recovery in Tribal Communities - Capacity Building Core

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Culturally-appropriate research is essential for ensuring that mental health and substance use disorder resources are effective among American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. The overall goal of this Capacity Building Core is to engage in guided research and training experiences that will culminate in the development of a permanent Research and Training unit at the Healing Lodge of the Seven Nations (HL), an institution created by and for AI/AN communities. A dedicated Research and Training unit will be established to build organizational capacity. Research and Training Unit staff will engage in experiential learning activities to prepare them to conduct high-quality, highly relevant clinical research and to provide training to support AI/AN community members’ health and wellness. To build community mental health capacity, Research and Training Unit staf will train clinical and non-clinical HL staff, and community members within and outside HL, on the xaʔtus/First Face for Mental Health program. A Research and Training Manager will administer pre/post evaluations of the xaʔtus training program to learn about its perceived value, effects, and limitations, and to bolster the professional research expertise of the Research and Training Unit. The Research and Training Manager and other Unit staff, including Native undergraduate and graduate students, will broadly disseminate summaries of these pre/post evaluations through presentations for HL staff, preparation of a scholarly article (with permission of the HL Board of Directors), and monthly newsletters to members of the seven tribal communities that support HL. The Research and Training Unit will also be responsible for conducting Pilot Project 1 with guidance from Center PIs including seasoned Division on Addiction scientists. Their work on Pilot Project 1 will comprise a series of experiential research learning activities. Additional organizational and professional research capacity will position expert Native Americans to guide their own communities toward better health.