Evidence-based alcohol and sexual risk support in homeless young adults
Official title: Implementing an evidence-based alcohol use and sexual risk intervention in young adult homeless service settings
Funded at Rand Corporation · NIH-11430370 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A real-world study will bring a proven counseling approach to drop-in centers serving 18–25-year-olds who are homeless, to help reduce alcohol use and risky sexual behaviors.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rand Corporation NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Santa Monica, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $731,345 |
| NIH project number | 1R01AA033407-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11430370 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Young adults aged 18–25 who are experiencing homelessness or unstable housing and who use alcohol or engage in sexual risk behaviors.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without access to drop-in centers or who do not engage in alcohol use or sexual risk behaviors may see limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project tests how well AWARE, a short four-session group counseling approach, works when delivered in drop-in centers serving homeless young adults. It will be implemented in partnership with three centers to see how it performs in routine service settings, not just in research environments. The study blends effectiveness and implementation work to understand both outcomes for participants and how to make the program fit into real-world services. Results will inform scalable ways to expand access to an evidence-based option for reducing harm among this vulnerable group.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could reduce hazardous drinking and sexual risk, leading to better health and fewer HIV/STI risks for homeless young adults.
How similar studies have gone: AWARE has shown efficacy in similar populations, but its effectiveness under real-world conditions and across multiple service sites is being tested here.
Where this research is happening
-
Rand Corporation
Santa Monica, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Diguiseppi, Graham — Rand Corporation
- Study coordinator: Diguiseppi, Graham
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Biomarkers to detect recent heavy drinking in veterans
A doctor-scientist team is testing blood biomarkers to better identify recent excessive alcohol use in veterans so clinicians can screen, counsel, and care for those at risk.
-
Understanding how heavy drinking and anxiety relate in emerging adults
This grant studies how heavy alcohol use and anxiety symptoms interact in young adults (ages 18–34) and what biological stress markers might reveal about that relationship.
-
Understanding how veterans access care for alcohol use and behavioral health
A study following 2,000 post-9/11 veterans to see how alcohol use, PTSD, and depression relate to access to behavioral health care over four years.
-
Understanding how peer norms around alcohol and HIV prevention affect adolescents and young adults in rural Uganda
This project studies how what young people think their peers do or approve of influences drinking and HIV prevention behaviors in rural Uganda, with the goal of improving health outcomes.
-
Mentor Moms+: a community-led plan to cut alcohol use and HIV risk during pregnancy in South Africa
A community-based program adapts a trusted peer-led model to help pregnant and lactating people reduce alcohol use and HIV risk in South Africa.
-
Functional Connectivity-Guided TMS for Alcohol Use Disorder
A new approach uses targeted brain stimulation to help people with alcohol use disorder stay abstinent longer by focusing treatment on specific brain circuits.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.