SARC

Now Recruiting Emerging Adult Community Board Members

Supporting emerging adult recovery via smartphone apps and tools

About the Self-management Applications for Rewarding my Choices (SARC) Project

This new study aims to address the fact that emerging adults (ages 18–25) have some of the highest rates of substance use disorders (SUDs), yet they are the least likely to access SUD care. We plan to address this by using a tool many emerging adults already have —a smartphone—to access the SARC app to aid in making positive choices.

The SARC app is designed to provide users with tools to help manage cravings and/or emotional or behavioral issues. It also provides options and resources to get support and promotes healthy choices and life skills.

About Our Team

The SARC project is led by a team at Chestnut Health Systems’ Lighthouse Institute. Lighthouse is a research institute within a community-based organization that focuses on substance use, mental health, and integrated health services. Our research examines how services are delivered and evaluated, as well as how individuals interact with public systems, including public health, criminal legal system, and child welfare.

Our team has led many projects in partnership with Community Boards made up of people with lived experience. We've seen firsthand how bringing together lived experience and research expertise leads to stronger, more meaningful research, and we're excited to continue that approach with the SARC project.

Learn more below – Meet the Researchers

Community Board Purpose and Details

Our work with SARC will be shaped by a partnership with an Emerging Adult Community Board. The Board will give feedback and guidance on various aspects of the research and serve an important purpose by including voices of people with lived experience. Board members will be from across the U.S. As a Board member, you will:

Attend 90-minute meetings on Zoom and review materials in between meetings, providing your valuable input
Commit to at least one year of service on the Board, which includes active participation in approximately 9 virtual meetings per year
Collaborate with our team to help guide new developments in SARC, a nationwide research study for emerging adults with SUDs, and to help share any findings
Receive a stipend rate of $50/hour (including review of materials between meetings)
There may also be opportunities for co-producing materials for sharing research results and co-presenting at national conferences, with travel expenses covered

Community Board Eligibility

We are looking for individuals who:

Are aged 18–25
Have experience being in recovery* from problematic substance use
Are enthusiastic about participating in the Board and sharing your perspective
Are able to access the internet and join virtual Zoom meetings
No specific educational or professional background is required
No previous board or committee experience is required

*We are using the following definition of recovery: "The process of improved physical, psychological, and social well-being and health following cessation or reductions in substance use." See more here.

We believe that recovery is self-defined, and for individuals coming to the Community Board with lived experience with recovery, we are open to different recovery pathways, including abstinence-based recovery, harm reduction approaches, medications for opioid use disorder, and other pathways.

Note: If you are selected for the Community Board, you will have the choice of whether to make your participation in the Board public or keep it confidential.

How to Apply

If you are interested in joining the Community Board, click the button below to fill out an application!

APPLY NOW

Community Board Infographic — *Infographic adapted from CHEARR (Collaborative Hub for Emerging Adult Recovery Research)*

Meet the Community Board Members

To be announced.

Community Board Support Team

Danielle Weedman

Danielle Weedman is a Senior Project Coordinator at Chestnut Health Systems' Lighthouse Institute. She graduated from Pacific University in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in English Literature. She contributes to various projects at the Lighthouse Institute by tracking project milestones, creating digital media and dissemination materials, managing website/social media content, assisting with grant applications, and lending general support to Scientists and team members.

Michelle Cruz

Michelle Cruz is a Research Project Manager at Chestnut Health Systems' Lighthouse Institute working with several different projects focused on substance use, recovery, and the criminal legal system. She first joined the team in 2020 to coordinate the JEAP Initiative, which similarly to SARC was a collaboration with individuals with lived experience on Community Boards. She previously worked in higher education, helping young adults achieve their educational goals.

Meet the Researchers

Research Team Leads:

Research Team:

Centers