Engaging Health Professional Doctoral Students in Research Training to Expand Evidence-Based Practice in Rural Substance Use Prevention and Treatment: Curriculum for the Culturally-Centered Addictions Research Training (C-CART) Program

In Arizona, United States, long distances to services, diverse populations, and medical provider shortages impact substance use disorder (SUD) prevention and treatment for Indigenous and historically excluded populations. To address these issues, the Culturally-Centered Addictions Research Training Program (C-CART) is designed to engage doctoral students and future and practicing clinicians in culturally-centered, community-engaged, interdisciplinary team-based research. C-CART Scholars engage in team-based projects designed in collaboration with community partners and academic mentors, focusing on culturally-responsive interventions for SUD. Evaluation of the C-CART program indicates significant growth in Scholars’ research skills, cultural competency, and collaboration experiences. The C-CART Curriculum is designed with the goal of advancing health equity and improving SUD treatment outcomes in diverse healthcare settings. This paper describes the C-CART Curriculum with the hope that it will serve as a model for future initiatives that aim to train students in culturally-centered methodologies and further the interests of other diverse communities that are under or improperly served. C-CART’s model is a step toward connecting rural, community-based programs and clinics with university researchers, thereby building trust and improving practice through strong networks and culturally-centered clinical research training.