A Hybrid Effectiveness Implementation Study of Latino/a Alcohol and Drug Users

Alcohol use is a significant problem among Latinxs and immigration-related stress increases risk for substance use. A theoretically-based cultural adaptation of motivational interviewing (CAMI) that specifically integrated discussion of immigration-related stressors (e.g., stigma, social isolation) resulted in significant reductions in alcohol-related harms for those Latinx heavy drinkers with high discrimination compared to standard MI, and reduced anxiety and depressive symptoms one year later compared to MI. Rigorous tests that examine theoretically-informed adaptation of efficacious addiction interventions are not common, yet are needed to advance implementation science. This Hybrid Type 1 Effectiveness-Implementation study will investigate the feasibility of implementing CAMI in a real-world clinical setting. The key questions are: Would CAMI have positive effects among individuals who use both drugs and alcohol? How do providers view this intervention? The investigators will collaborate with a primary care center that serves a mainly Latinx client population to train their Community Wellness Advocates (CWAs) to deliver CAMI to patients who are heavy drinkers. The investigators will conduct a concurrent investigation on the process of implementing CAMI in primary care - a two-arm randomized clinical effectiveness trial will enroll Latinx heavy drinkers (18 years or older) in primary care who use alcohol (and may use other drugs) - and follow them for 12 months after the intervention. Specific Aims are: (1) To examine the impact of CAMI plus a booster session (vs. assessment only) on outcomes: % heavy drinking days, frequency of alcohol-related consequences, depressive/anxiety symptoms, and number of illicit drug use days, using a Hybrid Type 1 Effectiveness-Implementation design and (2) To gather indicators of implementation outcome from multiple stakeholders using a mixed-methods approach. The investigators will follow Curran's framework to evaluate the proces