Research Projects

Preventing HIV/STI Among Urban Adolescents via a mHealth Primary Care Intervention

Grant # 1R03DA041891-01A1

HIV and drug abuse remain significant public health concerns in the United States and at-risk adolescents are disproportionately affected. Despite federal recommendations for routine HIV and STI testing in at-risk adolescents, HIV/STI testing among youth remains underutilized. The purpose of this research is to develop a cross-platform and universal version of Storytelling 4 Empowerment (S4E)--- a theory-driven, culturally congruent, interactive, tailored and targeted mobile health intervention--- and to examine the preliminary efficacy of S4E, relative to control condition, in preventing and reducing drug use and condomless sex, and improving HIV and STI testing in a clinic sample of at-risk adolescents.

A Community-University Approach to Preventing HIV

Grant # F049786

HIV remains a significant public health concern in the US, and African American youth residing in Flint, Michigan, are disproportionately affected. Few HIV prevention programs have been developed and tested with this vulnerable population. The purpose of this research is to propose a community-university approach to advance technology-based HIV prevention and improve public health by establishing the acceptability of an innovative mHealth prevention program for at-risk African American youth--- and to increase the uptake of HIV testing immediately post intervention.

Greater Than

Grant# 1 H79 SP021781-01

This study is interested in understanding the substance abuse and HIV needs in the Detroit community. Results will be used to improve substance abuse and HIV preventive services available in for adolescents in the Detroit community.

Preventing HIV/STI Among Urban Adolescents via a mHealth Primary Care Intervention NIMH

Grant# R25 MH067127

Technology-based interventions, including m(obile)-health—the practice and dissemination of medicine and public health through mobile devices—have been found to be efficacious in preventing/reducing condomless sex among adolescents. While researchers have demonstrated the utility of primary care and mHealth modalities to deliver interventions, a gap in the science in adolescent mHealth interventions focused on HIV risk behaviors in the primary care clinic setting exists.

To address this gap in science, we developed an mHealth primary care version of the face-to-face Storytelling for Empowerment (SFE) intervention. The face-to-face version of SFE is registered with SAMHSA’s National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices and has demonstrated evidence in reducing HIV/STI risk in urban adolescents. To develop the mHealth version (hereon referred to as S4E), we employed the principles of community-based participatory research (CBPR) in conjunction with prevention principles. Therefore, S4E is culturally specific such that the development of S4E was youth-driven in consultation with a youth leadership council. Furthermore, S4E is theory-driven, guided by empowerment and ecodevelopmental frameworks, and aims to improve adolescent self-efficacy and clinician-adolescent communication during the healthcare visit via innovative storytelling to prevent and reduce drug use and condomless sex behaviors and increase HIV/STI testing in urban adolescents. S4E consists of a risk assessment, HIV/STI and Alcohol/Drugs modules. In our formative research, S4E was found acceptable among adolescents. A limitation to this formative research however is we only interviewed adolescents. Clinicians play a key role in the intervention and therefore need to be interviewed. Therefore, a next important step in this program of research is to examine the feasibility of S4E in a clinic setting. This research has the potential to (1) prevent and reduce new HIV infections and (2) reduce HIV-related health disparities, which represent two of the four priorities identified in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy for the United States report.

National Institutes of Health Loan Repayment Programs

Grant #L60 MD006269

Preventing Cigarette Use Among Urban Adolescents via a mHealth Primary Care Intervention

Grant # G016234

The proposed study will address cigarette use in adolescents. This goal will be accomplished by two aims: AIM I: Collaborate wtih the Youth Leadership Council (YLC) to identify item content with respect to tobacco use and inform the development of tobacco modules to include as part of the m-health version of Storytelling for Empowerment (S4E). AIM II: Evaluate the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary efficacy of S4E in a primary care sample of adolescents living in Southeast Michigan and the Detroit Metropolitan area.

Eighty adolescents will be recruited to participate in examining the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary efficacy of S4E. S4E is registered as a best-practice with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Registry of Evidence-Based Practices and Programs and has been shown to be efficacious in preventing adolescent cigarette use.

Detroit Community-Academic Research Center- Preventing Substance Abuse and Mental Health Problems Among Detroit Hispanic Youth

The proposed project represents a new collaborative effort between the Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation (DHDC) and the University of Michigan School of Social Work aimed at narrowing and ultimately eliminating Hispanic health and mental health inequities in Detroit. This proposed project is informed by the principals of community-based participatory research (CBPR; Israel, Eng, Schulz, & Parker, 2005 ; Minkler & Wallerstein, 2003), and is guided by three AIMS: AIM 1 is to build a partnership and develop trust between the Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation and the University of Michigan School of Social Work, AIM II is to form and mobilize a Community Steering Committee, and AIM III is to conduct a substance use and mental health needs assessment. Findings from this project will be used to prepare and submit future proposal applications.

Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research #2UL1TR000433 - Integrating Research-Informed Mental Health Practices in a Primary Ccare Setting

Mental health problems play a significant role in the burden of disease and thus constitute a major public health concern facing America’s adolescent and young adult populations. In Ypsilanti, the proposed targeted area, mental health inequities are prominent. In fact, a recent community needs assessment conducted by the University of Michigan Health System identified mental health as a tier-one priority in Washtenaw County, including Ypsilanti: The proposed study, written in collaboration with Corner Health, aims to address these Ypsilanti community mental health inequities. Utilizing the initial phases of community-based participatory research and adapted strategic prevention framework, this goal will be accomplished by three aims: AIM I is to conduct a needs assessment with respect to Corner Health’s needs, capacity, norms, practices and culture, barriers and facilitators for the uptake and implementation of a research-informed mental health model; AIM II is to build Corner Health’s capacity to implement an adapted research-informed mental health model; and AIM III is to develop a strategic plan for the implementation of an adapted research-informed mental health model.

With the passing of the Affordable Care Act, it is estimated that by 2019 the number of annual primary care visits will significantly increase. As such, primary care settings such as Corner Health are an innovative context to implement mental health preventive interventions. This study aims to engage the Ypsilanti community and form a collaborative relationship between the University of Michigan School of Social Work and Corner Health, conduct interviews and data analysis with community stakeholders, and develop a strategic plan for the implementation of an adapted mental health model to be delivered at Corner Health, a primary care setting. The data collected in this pilot project will then be used to prepare an NIH R34 application to examine the efficacy of an adapted mental health best practice.

Adolescent Substance Abuse and HIV Prevention in a Primary Care Setting

Grant#23665

The purpose of this study is to develop an e-health version of an efficacious intervention to prevent and reduce adolescent substance use and sexual risk behaviors and to examine the acceptability and feasibility of delivering an e-health preventive intervention in a primary care setting.