To fulfill the goal and functions of C-BIRG, individuals associated with the research group are committed to broadening the scope of funded multidisciplinary research concerning community-based interventions for problems facing multicultural urban populations.  Broadly defined, the objective of community-based intervention is to address some problem(s) of some aspect(s) of a community by working within that community.  Individuals, families, social groups, schools, social institutions, neighborhoods, or any combination of the foregoing may be targeted for and participate in community-based intervention. Since the late 1970s, there has been increasing recognition that community-based intervention may be the most effective means for addressing problems facing multicultural urban populations. This stems from the ecological perspective, which rests on the assumption that an individual is nested within a complex of interconnected systems, and these systems influence in substantial ways the behavior of the individual.  From an ecological perspective, traditional clinic-based, individually focused approaches are problematic. By treating the “pathology” of the individual outside the boundaries of the community, and without much regard for the ecological systems that influence (and are influenced by) the individual’s behavior, the effectiveness of traditional intervention practices is bound to be disappointing.  In contrast, community-based interventions are likely to be more valid and effective than traditional clinic-based approaches in addressing problems facing multicultural urban populations.   MORE