Implementation research has been conducted for this program.
Program Overview
Storytelling 4 Empowerment (S4E) is a youth-facing, targeted, and tailored mobile-health (mHealth) drug abuse and STI/HIV native application rooted in empowerment and ecodevelopmental theories. The app experience begins with a brief risk behavior survey used to assess drug use and sexual risk behaviors, followed by user access to targeted and tailored content based on the youth’s specific risk behaviors. Interactive youth-facing content focuses on improving the potential mechanisms of change (i.e., youth–clinician communication, youths’ drug use and STI/HIV knowledge, self-efficacy, and refusal skills) and provides culturally congruent storytelling scenarios co-developed with end-users. S4E content is accessible and designed to be read aloud by the app. S4E also includes a clinician-facing app that provides clinicians with youth risk assessment responses, a risk communication interviewing toolkit (e.g., reflective questioning, motivational interviewing), and resources to link youth with prevention and care services.
Last Updated: 05/29/2026
Delivery
Mobile App
Theoretical Approach
Empowerment
Ecodevelopmental
Target Substances
Any substance use
Target Outcomes
Education
Skill building
Age
Children: < 11 years
Adolescent: 11 – 17 years
Young adult: 18 – 30 years
Gender
Male
Female
Transgender
Non-Binary+
Race
Asian
Black or African American
Multiracial
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
White
Other
Ethnicity
Hispanic
Setting
Community Health Center
Geographic Location
USA
Language
English
Index Study Publication Date
May 16, 2025