ISAP Researchers' Profiles

Suzanne Spear, M.S.

Suzanne E. Spear, M.S., Project Director. Suzanne has worked in the fields of community development and public health since 1995. Trained in cultural anthropology and urban studies, she has conducted research in the areas of community development, environment and behavior, substance abuse treatment, and substance abuse patterns among American Indians.  Suzanne has directed several campus-community collaborative projects aimed at implementing evidence-based practices in community treatment centers. She is currently directing the SAMHSA-funded UCLA Access to Care project, which provides substance use screening and brief intervention services to students at UCLA. In addition, she works as an evaluator for a substance abuse and mental health treatment program for homeless individuals in the South Los Angeles area. Suzanne is a native of Louisiana, a French speaker, and a mother of 2 girls.

Education and Training

• New York University, B.A., 1992, Anthropology
• University of New Orleans, M.S., 1996, Urban Studies/Applied Anthropology

Specialties

• Technology transfer (campus-community partnerships)
• Alcohol/drug screening and brief intervention
• Substance use among American Indians

Contact Info

UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs
1640 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Suite 200
Los Angeles, CA 90025
sspear@ucla.edu

Selected Publications

• Cohen, D., Spear, S., Scribner, R., Kissinger, P. & Wilgen, J.  ‘Broken windows’ and the risk of gonorrhea. American Journal of Public Health 2000; 90: 230-6.
• Spear, S. & Rawson, R. Preface to the JDI special issue: Perspectives from the “Common Ground, Common Goals, Common Language: Bringing Substance Abuse Practice and Research Together” conference. Journal of Drug Issues 2002; 32(3): 751-6.
• Spear, S. & Rawson, R. Linking researchers and practitioners in the substance abuse field: Perspectives of two “bridgers.” Journal of Drug Issues 2002; 32(3): 881-92.
• Spear, S., Longshore, D., McCaffrey, D. & P. Ellickson. Prevalence of substance use among White and American Indian young adolescents in a Northern Plains state. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 2005; 37(1): 1-6.
• Spear, S., Brown, A., & R. Rawson. “Painting a picture of the client”: Implementing the Addiction Severity Index in community treatment programs. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment2005; 29: 277-82.
• Evans, E., Spear, S., Huang, Y.C., & Y.I. Hser. Do American Indians benefit from mainstream drug and alcohol treatment? Treatment outcomes among American Indians in California. American Journal of Public Health2006; 96(5): 1-7.
• Isralowitz, R., Reznik, A., Spear, S., Brecht, M.L., & Rawson, R. Severity of heroin use in Israel: Comparisons between native Israelis and Former Soviet Union immigrants. Addiction 2007; 102: 630-7.
• Spear, S., Crèvecoeur, D.A., Rawson, R.A., & Clark, R. (2007). The rise in methamphetamine use among American Indians in Los Angeles County. American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research, 14(2), 1-15.

Last updated - 11/27/2007

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