The Women’s Intervention Program of the Well-Being Institute (WBI) in Detroit, Michigan was based on the Personalized Nursing LIGHT Model suggesting that improved well-being precedes positive change in important areas such as substance use and coping with chronic diseases. This is an evaluative study of 55 participants from intake to first follow-up after six months in the program. The study addresses a series of questions to evaluate the WBI program with respect to its short-term effects in the areas of well-being, physical symptoms, depression, substance use, and ability to cope. The questions for evaluation were: (1) does well-being improve among program clients over the course of their participation in the program; (2) is depression related to the extent to which physical symptoms interfere with normal activity, and does depression and physical symptoms improve over the course of program participation; (3) does substance abuse status improve among program clients over the course of participation, and does substance usage decrease as well-being increases; and (4) does well-being, substance use, depression, and physical symptoms predict capacity to cope with living with HIV? The results showed that (1) well-being has been positively impacted by the WBI intervention, (2) improvement in substance use is positively related to improvement in well-being, and (3) the capacity to cope, with respect to everyday activities, follow through on referrals, obtaining transportation, dealing with barriers, and complying with medical advice, is positively related to well-being. References