Family Listening Program: Multi-Tribal Implementation and Evaluation

This is a five-year R01 effectiveness trial where tribal partners are committed to assessing the Family Listening/Circle Program's effectiveness and disseminating the approach and intervention within Indian Country as a best practice in reducing substance abuse health disparities.Three specific aims of the grant are 1) To rigorously test effectiveness of FLCP; with a comparative longitudinal design within and across the tribes, with 4th graders to prevent substance initiation/use and strengthen families; 2) Through CBPR, support TRTs to transform their research capacities into local prevention research infrastructures and partnering; 3)To assess additional program effects on other health/education programs and leadership within the tribes. In sum, this multi-tribal/academic partnership builds on accomplishments to test the effectiveness of an innovative intervention. This grant provides an unparalleled opportunity to reduce substance abuse in three tribal communities, strengthen tribal research capacities, and impact substance abuse prevention research designs nationally, by illustrating how CBPR processes can integrate evidence-based and cultural-centered practices to create effective programs that generate community ownership and sustainability.