Substance use problems are a major concern in adolescents involved in the child welfare system. There is an enormous gap between the needs and availability of interventions for youth with substance use problems in the child welfare system (Edalati & Conrod, 2017), with less than 10% of youth in need receiving interventions (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2009). In a recent article, we reviewed the evidence that indicated targeting personality risk profiles is a promising strategy for reducing substance use problems and increasing resilience in this population (Edalati & Conrod, 2017).

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Adolescents are recruited from Batshaw Youth and Family Centres (N = 100, aged 14 to 17). Adolescents will be invited to receive two brief group-based intervention sessions which target their dominant personality profile. Adolescents will be assessed before and after receiving the interventions (3-month and 6-month intervals) to examine the effects of interventions on reduction of substance use problems and improving the mental health outcomes (See Figure 1).

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• Hanie Edalati, PhD; Postdoctoral Research Fellow, CHU Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal and School of Social Work, McGill University
• Patricia J. Conrod, PhD; Professor of Psychiatry, CHU Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal Delphine Collin-Vézina, PhD; Associate Professor, School of Social Work, McGill University
  
• Research Assistant: Sima Noorbakhsh, MA; PhD Student, CHU Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal
• Community Partner: Ms. Valerie Duncan; Coordinator, residential and rehabilitation, Youth Services and Clientele Trajectories; Batshaw Youth and Family Centres
  
• Working Group Consultants: This study receives consultations from Drs. Sherry Stewart (Dalhousie University), Christine Wekerle (McMaster University), Christopher Mushquash (Lakehead University), and Florin Tibu (The Bucharest Early Intervention Project).

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