Development of a Culturally Resonant Clinical Intervention to Support South Asian (SA) Men who use Substances

Substance use disorder is a growing chronic disease in Canada, with increasing harms. Racialized South Asian (SA) men living in the Lower Mainland have been shown to be particularly vulnerable to the harms of alcohol and opioid use, with many struggling to access support due to a variety of systemic and intrinsic barriers. Ensuring that research users are engaged as equal partners alongside researchers, the team will have shared leadership between SA men who use substances, health service providers, community organization representatives, and researchers. The goal of the project is to design an evidence-informed, culturally resonant intervention to support SA men who use substances, as well as identify next steps for further research and study of culturally resonant interventions. This will be completed during 5 collaborative meetings between the team and various stakeholders, guided by an experienced facilitator who will use an anti-racist approach to facilitation. Overall, this initiative will produce a culturally resonant intervention designed by researchers and research users and an agenda for future research that embodies anti-racist ideas and centres the experiences and ideas of SA men who use(d) substances.