The proposed research will determine whether primary care clinics should offer medications or talk therapy first to treat posttraumatic stress. In addition, for patients who do not respond to the first treatment, the STEPS trial will determine what treatment should be offered next. More information on our info sheet.
Patient Population: Low-income
Improving the implementation of smartphone-based contingency management in medical settings for the treatment of methamphetamine use disorder: a qualitative analysis of patient and clinician experiences
The proposed research is a qualitative analysis of patient and clinician experiences during a pilot study of mHealth-delivered contingency management for the treatment of methamphetamine use disorder and will address perceived facilitators and reinforcing factors, barriers and limitations, and proposals for future improvements including specific recommendations regarding the intervention and its mode of delivery.
Needs Assessment for Supporting Technology use and Harm Reduction (STaHR Study)
The proposed study entails a needs assessment to develop a program for Supporting Technology use and Harm Reduction (STaHR) among HF residents with lived experience of homelessness and substance use. This study will qualitatively explore HF residents’ technology literacy as well as their perspectives on barriers and facilitators to the use of technology, broadly, and for harm-reduction service provision. Then, with a community advisory board (CAB) made up of HF residents, staff, and management, we will inform and provide recommendations to HF management and leadership ways to improve HF resident technology use and engagement with online harm-reduction services.
eHaRT-A: adapting an in-person harm reduction for alcohol intervention into a telehealth platform
The unprecedented global pandemic has highlighted the digital divide and limited access to alcohol-related treatments among marginalized communities, specifically individuals with lived experience of homelessness. In line with the NIAAA health initiative seeking to integrate technology-based interventions among vulnerable populations, this study directly addresses this mission by proposing innovative methods (i.e., user-centered design + a community based participatory research framework) to adapt an in-person harm reduction for alcohol (HaRT-A) intervention into a telehealth platform (eHaRT-A) that can then be tested and successfully implemented into low-barrier Housing First settings. As healthcare continues to move more services online, it is essential to understand ways to successfully adapt and implement rigorously tested telehealth treatment services for marginalized communities to ameliorate alcohol-related harms.
eHaRT-A
The unprecedented global pandemic has highlighted the digital divide and limited access to alcohol-related treatments among marginalized communities, specifically individuals with lived experience of homelessness. In line with the NIAAA health initiative seeking to integrate technology-based interventions among vulnerable populations, this study directly addresses this mission by proposing innovative methods (i.e., user-centered design + a community based participatory research framework) to adapt an in-person harm reduction for alcohol (HaRT-A) intervention into a telehealth platform (eHaRT-A) that can then be tested and successfully implemented into low-barrier Housing First settings. As healthcare continues to move more services online, it is essential to understand ways to successfully adapt and implement rigorously tested telehealth treatment services for marginalized communities to ameliorate alcohol-related harms.
Evaluating Lifelines4Moms (ELM) Study
Perinatal depression affects 10-15% of pregnant and postpartum individuals, with detrimental impacts on both parent and infant. In response to this, our department developed a perinatal consultation line for providers, PAL for Moms, to increase access to specialty perinatal psychiatric expertise and care. The purpose of the Evaluating Lifeline4Moms (ELM) is to assess comparative effectiveness of PAL for Moms and other perinatal psychiatry access and referral programs in addressing maternal depression.
As a community-engaged research endeavor, ELM has convened patient advocates, policy experts, and perinatal clinicians, who oversee the study as partners and advisors. Over a period of three years, the research team will characterize the components, implementation timelines, and state policy contexts of access and referral programs; evaluate the reach and implementation of these programs; and examine the comparative effects on access to and quality of mental health treatment among Medicaid-insured perinatal individuals.
Disseminating a user-friendly guide: Advancing the science of intervention adaptation and improving access to evidence-based psychological treatment
Adaptation of evidence-based practices and programs (EBPs) is a necessary component of the implementation process. EBPs must be adapted to function with the constraints of real-world practice settings, providers’ expertise, and patients’ needs. The science of intervention adaptation is hungry for well-defined methods of EBP adaptation to guide decision making. A how-to guide for EBP adaptation titled MODIFI: Making Optimal Decisions for Intervention Flexibility during Implementation, is under development with NIMH funding (F32 MH116623). MODIFI will be disseminated via multiple strategies locally, nationally, and internationally. Dissemination of MODIFI will improve the practice of intervention adaptation by providing practitioners with a how-to guide that is (a) evidence-based, (b) usable, and (c) supported by the expert consensus of implementation practitioners and researchers.
