Traditions and Connections for Urban Native Americans (TACUNA): Reaching Emerging Adults Nationally through a Virtually Delivered Randomized Controlled Trial
Date and Time
Harvard Indigenous Health & Well-Being Seminar Series featuring:
- Elizabeth D'Amico, Ph.D.: Senior Behavioral Scientist at RAND & Licensed Clinical Psychologist
- Daniel Dickerson, D.O., M.P.H. (Inupiaq): Associate Research Psychiatrist,
UCLA - Carrie Johnson, Ph.D. (Wahpeton Dakota): CEO, Sacred Path, Indigenous Wellness Center
While the majority of American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) people reside in urban areas, very few randomized controlled trials have been conducted analyzing new culturally grounded substance use interventions for this population. This presentation will focus on “the story” of conducting a nationwide randomized controlled study analyzing the benefits of Traditions and Connections for Urban Native Americans (TACUNA) during the COVID-19 pandemic. TACUNA consists of 3 workshops focusing on participating in traditional activities, motivational interviewing, and enhancing healthy social connections. By creating a successful virtual platform recruitment strategy on Facebook and Instagram, we were able to recruit 541 participants from 37 states. We will discuss results generated thus far and next steps in the implementation of TACUNA to urban AIAN emerging adults nationwide.