Social Identity Mapping for Adolescent Substance Use Intervention and Building Recovery Capital: Two Novel Approaches

Session Description: This presentation will discuss the research on the importance of social capital for youth substance use prevention and recovery, discuss the process of social identity change during substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery, including how programming can be a direct influence on this change, and describe how one novel, visual approach, Social Identity Mapping can be used to measure and reflect with an adolescent on their immediate social influences in an intervention or treatment setting. The presentation on Social Identity Mapping will include a presentation of how to conduct this approach in two ways – (1) by hand using materials or (2) online using an online platform and will center on how participants can adapt and implement either of these approaches for their clientele. Finally, results from two studies with youth in various stages of addiction treatment and recovery will be presented to highlight the different ways both SIM approaches can be implemented. The empirical and theoretical knowledge gained from this session will be related to social identity and social influence and how this dynamically interacts with youth treatment and recovery processes over time. The practical knowledge gained will be to understand what Social Identity Mapping is, and how it can be used as a visual tool, along with targeted reflection questions, to enable youth reflection and increase practitioner-youth engagement and connection.