BOSTON, MA (August 13, 2024) - The Baker Center, a national leader in children’s mental health, has received a 5-year grant from The National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health (a subset of the Department of Health & Human Services) to pursue research into community-driven drug prevention implementation strategies for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander youth in rural Hawai'i. The project is led by Dr. Kelsie Okamura, the head of The Baker Center’s Implementation Research team based in Hawai'i. Dr. Okamura has a rich research background, having authored more than 40 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters. She currently serves as Leader for the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Dissemination and Implementation Science Special Interest Group, the American Psychological Association’s Society for Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology Convention Program Chair (2025), and is a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Group Member to Implementation Research and Practice.
“This award is timely given the need for a paradigm shift in research to have young people and communities lead implementation efforts.” said Dr. Okamura “This is particularly important for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander youth who disproportionately suffer from substance use concerns. I will use this award to amplify the voice of middle school students to lead their communities in substance use prevention and implementation science.”
Through the grant-funded project, Dr. Okamura will lead The Baker Center’s Implementation Research Division to create and implement a culturally grounded drug-prevention curriculum, Ho‘ouna Pono, in Hawai‘i public schools. The aim is to create an implementation approach that is community-led and is fixed in innovative and culturally informed methods to meet the needs of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander youth. The need to address drug prevention among these populations was identified and evaluated through multiple research studies, particularly those which examine barriers to implementing curriculum of this kind. Prior research has also revealed a higher need for this curriculum in remote and rural areas, which will be the target area for this work. Additionally, this work will establish and support student-led innovations, tournaments, and ecological momentary assessments to make real-time adaptations to the curriculum implementation.
Dr. Okamura has closely examined existing research methods and studies in these locations and has found that previous research projects have favored the researcher’s voice over that of the community, which has led to a culture of mistrust in research. The Implementation Research Division at The Baker Center intends to challenge the existing research paradigm by redistributing power to the community to lead this work. The Baker Center’s goal is to advance racial equity for these populations and create a cultural shift that emphasizes the voices, perspectives, and futures of Indigenous communities.
Dr. Daniel Cheron, Chief Psychologist and Vice President of Clinical Programs, Implementation, and Training noted that "This grant award is a critical step forward for The Baker Center, enabling us to enhance our research programs to inform prevention and intervention services that directly support youth and families in need. With this funding, we can expand our impact and provide innovative solutions that empower and uplift our community."
Dr. Okamura begins her project in August 2024 and will document the progress of this work throughout the course of the 5-year grant period.
More information about this grant
Principal Investigator: Dr. Kelsie Okamura, Implementation Researcher, kokamura@jbcc.harvard.edu
Grant Award Number: DP1 DA061311
Distribution & Media Contact: Alex Bahrawy, MBA, Director of Marketing & Communications, abahrawy@bakercenter.org
The information reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number DP1 DA061311. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
About The Baker Center for Children and Families
An affiliate of Harvard Medical School, The Baker Center for Children and Families is a nationally recognized mental health organization dedicated to improving the quality of mental health care for children (ages 2-22), families, and caregivers. Originally named Judge Baker Children’s Center, in honor of Harvey Humphrey Baker, the first judge appointed to the Boston Juvenile Court, the Center opened in 1917 and serves children and families of Greater Boston and the MetroWest region.
The Baker Center is dedicated to improving the lives of children and families by bridging the gap between science and practice to improve access to the highest quality care in community-based settings. Their life-changing mental health and special education programs include Center for Effective Therapy (CET), Manville School, Camp Baker, and Next Step: College Success & Independent Living.
Learn more about The Baker Center:
@bakercntr | bakercenter.org