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The language of strengths and strengths-based approaches is becoming increasingly common in health discourse and practice, most commonly in relation to young people and socially marginalised populations. Interest in these approaches derives from the belief that increasing the resilience and ‘strengths’ of populations provides a solution to the range of problems threatening individuals and contemporary health care systems. It follows a history of strengths-based discourse in other areas of professional practice such as youth work and social work and their concern with social justice. Yet, in health and biomedical contexts, these approaches are often overly individualised in both their conceptualisation and practice, resting on notions of ‘resilience’ which does not go far enough in recognising the role of social conditions of young people’s health.

This program of research is concerned with offering a clearer perspective on the limitations of strengths discourse in health policy and practice, while being mindful of the opportunities it brings for shifting thinking towards greater attention to the agency and expertise of individuals and communities.

Using alcohol and other drug (AOD) health settings as the case study, the projects will advance the conceptualisation and practical application of strengths-based approaches by learning from other sites of practice, including First Nations health, and in sociological concepts of capabilities and capitals. In these frameworks, strengths are understood as more than just personal attributes: they are conceptualized collectively in terms of cultural values, practices and identities, rather than the qualities of individuals.

The research program is comprised of three projects:

Impact Goals                             

• Build on promising narratives in AOD models of care about ‘strengths’
• Expand the way ‘strengths’ are understood in policy and practice, so to include relational forms of ‘strengths’ as per First Nations approaches
• Introduce language and concepts of capabilities to AOD and broader health sector
• Promote First Nations models of health and care as gold standard      
• Build capacities of the young people taking part in the research