# Cultural Innovations for Recovery in Community-based Learning Environments

> **NIH NIH S06** · ALASKA NATIVE TRIBAL HEALTH CONSORTIUM · 2020 · $261,233

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY 
CIRCLE 
Alaska Native and American Indian (AN/AI) people have disproportionately high rates of alcohol misuse and 
related mortality and morbidity; yet, only 19.8% of all people seek formal treatment during their lifetime. Many 
AN/AI people with alcohol misuse, particularly in rural areas, do not engage in treatment due to a preference 
for self-management, oscillating motivation, or lack of access to timely services. Technologies that mediate 
care, such as health information technology and mobile health, offer resourceful ways to improve healthcare 
access (24/7), support self-management, and health outcomes. Prior research with AN/AI people suggests a 
distance-delivered intervention that focuses on the role of social environment and community in reinforcing 
sobriety would be effective and acceptable. 
We propose a mixed-method, stakeholder-engaged study to culturally-adapt and test an existing scalable 
mobile intervention, that combines self-management and peer-support, for AN/AI adults with alcohol misuse. 
We will work with key stakeholders to adapt and assess the acceptability, feasibility, and measurable effects of 
a culturally grounded, scalable, mobile, online learning community (OLC) tool. Our Specific Aims are to: 
 1. Identify stakeholder needs and preferences regarding use of an OLC tool to support self-management 
 and peer-support for alcohol misuse through interviews and focus groups. 
 2. Adapt a secure technology platform to provide culturally appropriate and acceptable self-management 
 and peer-support for rural and urban AN/AI adults seeking support for alcohol misuse. 
 3. Test the acceptability, feasibility, and measureable effects of a culturally-adapted OLC tool to reduce 
 alcohol misuse and related harms using self-report data. 
The proposed intervention has the potential to be an adjunctive or standalone intervention for those seeking 
support for alcohol misuse, before, during, or following engagement with formal substance abuse services. 
Such an intervention may play a role in both prevention and treatment and may help to decrease alcohol- 
related health disparities among AN/AI populations in rural and urban settings.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9988458
- **Project number:** 5S06GM127911-03
- **Recipient organization:** ALASKA NATIVE TRIBAL HEALTH CONSORTIUM
- **Principal Investigator:** Jaedon Avey
- **Activity code:** S06 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $261,233
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-06 → 2022-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9988458

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9988458, Cultural Innovations for Recovery in Community-based Learning Environments (5S06GM127911-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9988458. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*