What are Learning Clusters?
NNED Learning Clusters consist of small groups of community-based organizations that come together around a shared priority issue. Best practices and evidence-based strategies and programs that emerge from these consultative sessions and follow-up discussions are developed into products that can be tested in research models and disseminated with technical assistance throughout the NNED.
Purpose of NNED Learning Clusters
- Foster new collaborative partnerships to grow and spread these pockets of excellence
- Coordinate the sharing, training and TA of cultural, indigenous, and community-based best practices
- Create linkages between community providers and organizations in diverse communities and research/training centers to share knowledge, expertise, and skills
To learn more about individual Learning Clusters, view the descriptions below.
Transforming Violence Intervention in Health Care through Trauma-Informed Practice
This project provides specific, practical guidance about trauma-informed practice to hospital-based and hospital-linked violence intervention programs to better address violence intervention in diverse communities. The Learning Cluster targets programs providing violence intervention in health care settings and community organizations, particularly those programs addressing the needs of young black men.
Transition to Adulthood
This learning cluster seeks to improve outcomes for youth in foster care as they prepare to transition out of the system and into adulthood. In particular, to improve outcomes for culturally and racially diverse youth by developing strategies at the policy and practice level for implementing culturally competent services and case planning for all youth, regardless of their background.
Community-Defined Evidence Project (CDEP)
This learning cluster consists of a group of community-based mental health and substance abuse providers serving primarily Latino communities, Latino consumers, and university-based researchers working collaboratively to develop a framework for “community-defined evidence” that enhances traditional and nontraditional methodologies for measuring the effectiveness of practices and programs for Latinos.
Implementing the SBIRT Model in Community Health Centers
The goal of this learning cluster is to implement the screening, brief interview, referral, and treatment (SBIRT) model for substance use and abuse within community health centers that serve diverse populations. This model allows community health centers to identify individuals with substance-abuse related problems or individuals who are at risk for substance-abuse related problems, thereby more effectively addressing health disparities with a focus on prevention.
Best Practices for Pacific Island and Native American Indigenous Communities
This learning cluster will convene ten Pacific Islander and ten Native American communities to share best practices for their populations along the public health continuum from awareness, outreach and engagement through recovery services and supports for people with mental health, substance abuse and co-occurring problems.
Integration of Behavioral Health and Primary Care
This learning cluster will develop a compendium/toolkit of systematic strategies for integrating behavioral health and primary care for diverse communities (e.g., funding, legislation, training, payor and reimbursement, models of collaboration, health information technology and EHRS, etc.). Community-research partnerships will be developed to evaluate promising approaches for diverse communities.
Linking Faith-Based Institutions and Behavioral Health
This learning cluster will work to build partnerships between faith-based and healthcare organizations. The group will disseminate information on best practice models for faith-based/healthcare collaborations from a community based participatory approach.
Parental Depression in Low-Income Culturally Diverse Communities
This learning cluster consists of eight community organizations that are addressing parental depression through innovative, low-stigmatizing strategies that build on peer social support and natural helpers.
Advocacy and Community Engagement
The purpose of this learning cluster is to build on the experiences and expertise of community leaders and groups in multicultural communities who have been successful in advocating for greater awareness of disparities and subsequent policy and practice changes in behavioral health and related systems.
Public Education Campaigns on Prevention of Underage Drinking
This learning cluster will produce culturally informed and accessible targeted messages with the Ad Council that are developed by and geared to American Indians, Hispanics, African Americans and Asian/Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. Products from this Learning Cluster will be disseminated throughout the NNED for use in their respective communities