My Pathway to Healing

The goal of this project is to test the feasibility and acceptability of a common elements intervention delivered by community mental health workers for adults with a history of adverse childhood experiences. "Common elements" interventions build cognitive, emotional, interpersonal, and behavioral skills to help address trauma-related distress and build resilience. This will be accomplished using a randomized control trial with Apache adults ages 25-65 with recent suicidal behaviors, self-injurious behaviors, and/or binge substance use.

This is a mixed-methods study with qualitative data informing adaptation and evaluation of a common elements intervention delivered by community mental health specialists, named "My Pathway to Healing." The study includes a pilot trial and CAB discussions to inform our understanding of the feasibility of scaling up the intervention.

The investigators randomized some participants to receive the interventions and some to receive control case manager visits, to pilot what a future effectiveness RCT might be. This intervention integrates psychoeducation, relaxation techniques, problem solving and cognitive coping, and addresses safety (when identified as a problem area). The intervention used in the intervention arm of our study has been developed for the specific context and culture of White Mountain Apache.

Those randomized into the My Pathway to Healing group will receive 4-8 hour-long sessions with a community mental health specialist, taking place over 8-12 weeks. The exact number of sessions will depend on presentation and symptom level using a stepped care approach where participants receive only what they need, but the provider can provide additional sessions if needed (i.e., increased element dosage; additional optional elements for specific issues). Those randomized into the control will continue to receive the standard case management via the Apache surveillance system. These control participants will be offered the My Pathway to Healing Program upon completion of the study.

Participants will be asked to partake in 5 study assessments. For intervention participants these assessments will take place at: baseline, after their last intervention session (endline; approximately 8-12 weeks post-baseline) and 4, 8, and 12 weeks post-endline. For control participants, these assessments will take place at: baseline, 8-12 weeks post-baseline (the maximum time the intervention would last; will be referred to as an endline) and 4, 8 and 12 weeks post-endline. These assessment visits will be conducted by Research Program Assistants. Assessments will take approximately 45-90 minutes to complete. In the feasibility study, assessments are not being statistically analyzed.

Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

* Adults aged 25-65
* Suicide ideation, suicide attempt, self-injurious behavior, and/or binge alcohol and/or drug use within past 90 days confirmed by the Apache suicide surveillance system
* Experienced at least 2 adverse childhood experiences
* Native American
* Reside on or near the Fort Apache Indian Reservation.
* An average score of 1 or above on a measure of symptoms of posttraumatic stress

Exclusion Criteria:

* Unable to provide informed consent
* Have a serious developmental disorder
* Have active psychosis