Dr. Liliane Windsor is the associate dean for research and a professor in the School of Social Work. Her research focuses on applying critical consciousness theory to the development of interventions that promote health equity, particularly in the areas of substance use disorder treatment, infectious disease, and the criminal legal system in marginalized communities. 

In this interview, Dr. Windsor shares her experience as a recipient of the 2023 CSBS Small Grant Program for her project “Improving Attendance in Community Wise.” Her project aims to address the disproportionate impact of alcohol and substance use (ASU) in low-income, historically marginalized Black communities. 

Tell us briefly about your research project. 
This project aims to address the disproportionate impact of alcohol and substance use (ASU) in low-income, historically marginalized Black communities, where ASU leads to severe consequences like higher incarceration rates and an increased risk of HIV/HCV infection. While rates of ASU in these communities are comparable to the general population, the consequences are disproportionately severe.  To address this, we developed and optimized Community Wise, a multi-level, manualized behavioral intervention designed to reduce ASU among self-identified men with histories of substance use disorder (SUD) and incarceration in Essex County, NJ. Preliminary findings indicate that Community Wise is both feasible and well-received, with attendance rates in Illinois doubling those in New Jersey.  

Our current study aims to: identify strategies to improve attendance and reduce ASU, and to assess the feasibility and acceptability of Community Wise among self-identified men and women with SUD histories in East St. Louis, IL. Preliminary findings indicate that Community Wise is both feasible and well-received, with attendance rates in Illinois doubling those in New Jersey. 

In what ways did the CSBS Small Grant Program help you connect with collaborators? 
The grant enabled us to collaborate with staff at the Comprehensive Behavioral Health Center in East St. Louis and convene a community collaborative board composed of service providers and individuals with SUD histories. These partnerships have already led to new studies, interdisciplinary conference presentations, and expanded opportunities for collaboration. 

What did the collaboration allow you to do that you would not have been able to do alone or with academic collaborators? 
This project was made possible through community collaboration. Through these partnerships, we successfully recruited 166 participants who engaged in the eight-week intervention while also accessing additional services at the Comprehensive Behavioral Health Center. 

How did the initial CSBS Small Grant funding aid in your external funding efforts? 
The grant allowed us to collect critical pilot data, which significantly strengthened our application to the National Institute on Drug Abuse for a large-scale hybrid effectiveness/implementation study across three states. Without this data, our application would have been far less competitive.  

What advice do you have for Illinois faculty interested in applying for a CSBS Small Grant? 
The CSBS Small Grant Program is an excellent opportunity to secure pilot funding that strengthens federally funded grant applications. The application process is straightforward, and reviewer feedback is highly constructive. Additionally, it serves as valuable bridge funding, allowing faculty to sustain research momentum and enhance funding competitiveness between grant cycles.