@conference {1499560,
	title = {Social Network Based Substance Abuse Prevention via Network Modification (A Preliminary Study)},
	booktitle = {Strategic Reasoning for Societal Challenges (SRSC) Workshop at International Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems (AAMAS-19)},
	year = {2019},
	abstract = {Substance use and abuse is a significant public health problem in theUnited States. Group-based intervention programs offer a promisingmeans of preventing and reducing substance abuse. While effective,unfortunately, inappropriate intervention groups can result in anincrease in deviant behaviors among participants, a process knownas deviancy training. This paper investigates the problem of optimizing the social influence related to the deviant behavior via carefulconstruction of the intervention groups. We propose a Mixed Integer Optimization formulation that decides on the interventiongroups to be formed, captures the impact of the intervention groupson the structure of the social network, and models the impact ofthese changes on behavior propagation. In addition, we proposea scalable hybrid meta-heuristic algorithm that combines MixedInteger Programming and Large Neighborhood Search to find nearoptimal network partitions. Our algorithm is packaged in the formof GUIDE, an AI-based decision aid that recommends intervention groups. Being the first quantitative decision aid of this kind,GUIDE is able to assist practitioners, in particular social workers, inthree key areas: (a) GUIDE proposes near-optimal solutions that areshown, via extensive simulations, to significantly improve over thetraditional qualitative practices for forming intervention groups;(b) GUIDE is able to identify circumstances when an interventionwill lead to deviancy training, thus saving time, money, and effort;(c) GUIDE can evaluate current strategies of group formation anddiscard strategies that will lead to deviancy training. In developingGUIDE, we are primarily interested in substance use interventionsamong homeless youth as a high risk and vulnerable population.GUIDE is developed in collaboration with Urban Peak, a homelessyouth serving organization in Denver, CO, and is under preparationfor deployment.},
	author = {Rahmattalabi, Aida and Adhikari, Anamika Barman and Vayanos, Phebe and Tambe, Milind and Eric Rice and Baker, Robin}
}
