Science to Systems Grant Program

Science to Systems Grant Program is sponsored by University of Maryland Center for Addiction Research, Education, and Service (CARES). The Science to Systems (SSG) pilot grant program aims to generate new substance use-related prevention, treatment, and system enhancement initiatives to improve addiction-related systems of care.

Science to Systems Grant Program - Center for Addiction Research, Education, and Service Center for Addiction Research, Education, and Service Science to Systems Grant Program Note from T4's documentation: In versions prior to 8. 4. 1 you must also include the T4 tag in a comment alongside the anchor Helper.

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--> Pilot Funding to Enhance Substance Use-Related Systems of Care SSG Proposal Submission Guidelines Frequently Asked Questions Note from T4's documentation: In versions prior to 8. 4. 1 you must also include the T4 tag in a comment alongside the anchor Helper.

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--> Breaking Barriers with IMPACTT: Reducing Stigma to Strengthen Tele-MOUD in Rural Jails Annabelle M. Belcher, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry Division of Addiction Research and Treatment University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) This project focuses on reducing stigma and expanding access to telemedicine-based medication for opioid use disorder (Tele-MOUD) in rural jail settings.

The intersection of opioid use disorder (OUD) and incarceration . For the past decade or more, the US has remained mired in an opioid crisis, a public health issue that is particularly salient for people with criminolegal involvement (CLI). Estimates suggest that up to 36% of people with OUD cycle through the correctional system each year, and that more broadly, 15% of people who are incarcerated have an OUD.

Tragically, these individuals also face a significantly higher risk of drug-related overdose death, with as much as 129 times greater risk than the general public of overdose death in the weeks following community re-entry. Closer to home, Maryland data support these findings; a state-commissioned report found that the risk of overdose was 8.

2 times greater in the first week after release from Maryland jails, compared to the period of 90-365 days following release. The reasons for this heightened risk are many, but chiefly, without MOUD protocols in place, jails and prisons use withdrawal/detoxification procedures that lower a person's tolerance, leading to a higher risk of overdose upon release. Note from T4's documentation: In versions prior to 8.

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4. 1. --> Intramuscular Ketamine for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder Assistant Professor, Kahlert Institute for Addiction Medicine Annabelle M.

Belcher, PhD Assistant Professor, Division of Addiction Research and Treatment Assistant Professor, Division of Addiction Research and Treatment This project explores the potential of intramuscular ketamine as a novel treatment approach for opioid use disorder. Opioid use disorder (OUD) remains a critical public health crisis nationally and locally. Baltimore City accounted for more than 38% of Maryland’s overdose deaths in 2022.

Between 2017 and 2021, opioid related deaths in Baltimore city rose by approximately 45. 9%, signaling an urgent need for scalable, evidence-based treatments. Methadone is a first-line pharmacological treatment for OUD that reliably reduces drug use and improves both mental and physical health.

However, individuals must initially undergo a slow dose-titration process that can take several weeks before reaching an effective therapeutic level. Throughout this period, people commonly experience distressing withdrawal symptoms, especially craving, negative affect, insomnia, and chronic pain, which impair decision making and motivate drug reuse to alleviate these aversive states.

As such, most dropouts occur within the first three months of treatment. This underscores the urgent need for adjunctive interventions that rapidly reduce OUD symptom severity during the vulnerable initiation phase of methadone therapy. Note from T4's documentation: In versions prior to 8.

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4. 1. --> Forward and Back-Translational Pipelines for Polysubstance Use Disorder Donna Calu (Gogerdchi), PhD Department of Neurobiology This project aims to bridge laboratory and clinical research to better understand and treat polysubstance use disorder.

Problem and Significance: Individuals seeking treatment for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) are rarely using opioids alone. Instead, they use two or more drugs of different classes (sedatives, psychostimulants, etc.), either through contamination of the drug supply or intentional co-use.

Polysubstance use is considered the fourth wave of the opioid crisis and is characterized by a dynamically changing profile of co-used substances that varies by geographical region1. With Maryland once again at the center of the national opioid crisis, it is imperative that we establish translational pipelines that flexibly adjust to the changing landscape of the polysubstance opioid crisis.

This requires collaboration between clinicians, who are working with patient populations to identify polysubstance misuse patterns, and pre-clinical scientists, who can disentangle the impact of each substance on opioid consumption, craving, withdrawal and relapse.

This will lead to bidirectional translation in which pre-clinical findings inform streamlined clinical data surveillance and clinical survey data inform controlled preclinical testing to identify substances that enhance opioid craving, consumption, withdrawal and relapse. Note from T4's documentation: In versions prior to 8. 4.

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--> Evaluating Feasibility and Barriers to an Integrated Group-Based and Peer Support Intervention to Prevent Relapse Among Postpartum Parenting Women with Opioid Use Disorder Doris Addo-Glover, PhD, MSN, RN University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) Universities at Shady Grove, Rockville, Maryland Co-Principal Investigator: Courtney Townsel, MD, MSc University of Maryland School of Medicine This project examines innovative, supportive interventions aimed at preventing relapse among postpartum women with opioid use disorder.

Problem and Significance The postpartum period represents a critical time when women diagnosed with opioid use disorder (OUD) are more vulnerable to relapse and overdose deaths. Relapse rates exceed 90%, particularly 6-12 months following childbirth, and overdose deaths are a leading cause of death in postpartum parenting women (PPW) with OUD (PPW-OUD).

From 2018-2021, overdose death ratios among pregnant and postpartumwomen,10-44 years old more than doubled per 100,000 mothers, in the United States. State records show fentanyl and particularly heroin contributed to the majority of maternal overdose deaths, among birthing women, reflecting the need for a different treatment approach to reduce relapse rates.

Any substance use during pregnancy is discouraged due to the risks of poor maternal birth and infant outcomes (i.e., likelihood of emergent cesarian delivery, preterm and low birth weight infants). Note from T4's documentation: In versions prior to 8. 4.

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1. --> Recovery Housing Outcomes, Practices, and Evaluation Professor, School of Social Work University of Maryland School of Social Work University of Maryland School of Nursing This collaborative project evaluates recovery housing models to identify best practices and improvelong-term outcomes for individuals in recovery.

Recovery residences (RR) are essential components of the continuum of care for individuals recovering from substance use disorders. These residences bridge the substance use treatment system (e.g. detoxification, inpatient, and residential treatment) and sustained community recovery.

RR at a minimum offer peer-based recovery support and a safe drug and alcohol-free living environment for individuals but may also offer a mix of services including formal linkages to outpatient substance use treatment programs and connections to recovery services. The National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR) framework classifies RR into four levels based on staffing and support intensity.

Level 1 residences are peer run with no paid staff and minimal formal linkages to care. Level 2 residences are monitored programs with a paid house manager and some connections to clinical services. Level 3 residences are supervised programs with more structured recovery support services.

Level 4 residences are typically linked to treatment providers. Existing evidence suggests that RR are a cost-effective intervention that increases abstinence, reduces relapse, improves treatment retention, enhances social outcomes such as employment and income, and lowers arrest rates.

The objective of this study is to survey existing RR in Maryland to understand staffing structures, including the integration of peers, identify the services offered, and identify barriers and challenges to expanding recovery services. To achieve this, we will use the Maryland Certification of Recovery Residences (MCORR) list to draw a geographically diverse sample of 60 certified RR operators.

The sample will be stratified by region (Capital, Central Maryland, Eastern Shore, Southern Maryland, and Western Maryland. Survey development, recruitment, interviewing, data analysis, and reporting survey will be done in collaboration with our Community Advisory Council PARTNER (Peer Action Research – Transformative Networks Enhancing Recovery).

PARTNER is a long-standing collaborative group of peers with lived experience, RR agency leaders, trainers, advocates, and academic partners. Note from T4's documentation: In versions prior to 8. 4.

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1. --> Xylazine Exposure among Baltimore Residents with Addiction (XEBRA) Edward C. Traver , M.

D. , Assistant Professor, School of Medicine, Principal Investigator In the past decade, the opioid epidemic in the United States has led to profound and widespread suffering and death. For each of the past 3 years, over 100,000 Americans have died from opioid overdoses, (1) leading to a historic decrease in life expectancy that is unprecedented in modern times.

The evolving regulatory and enforcement policies have led to many shifts in the source of illicit opioids, from diverted prescription opioids, to heroin, and now to illicit fentanyl and fentanyl derivatives.

(2) Since the early 2000s, the non-opioid veterinary sedative xylazine has spread throughout the illicit fentanyl supply in the United States, with a notable epicenter in Baltimore and Philadelphia, where it is found in the vast majority of illicit opioids.

(3,4) Xylazine has been suspected of contributing to high rates of fatal overdose, yet other evidence shows xylazine causes sedation without dangerous respiratory depression, perhaps reducing the risk of fatal overdose. (5) Many people who are exposed to xylazine also develop significant skin wounds, typically in the arms and legs, which can lead to severe infections and limb amputation.

(6) As with overdose, evidence for a causal role for xylazine in the formation of these wounds is limited and conflicting. Better data is urgently needed to clarify the relationship between xylazine, overdose, and wounds, but investigations are hampered by insufficient xylazine testing.

Inexpensive, rapid, and easy to use xylazine test strips (XTS) are available for people who use drugs (PWUD) to check their drugs for xylazine prior to use, but their use is limited by pressures to consume drugs quickly (such as to stave off withdrawal and avoid arrest). Even in ideal circumstances, fentanyl test strips (which are more widely deployed and studied) are used extremely rarely.

Additional methods are needed to assess xylazine exposure among PWUD to confirm xylazine exposure, measure xylazine prevalence trends, and validate associations with overdose and wounds. It is unknown if XTS can be used to test for xylazine in the urine of PWUD.

To answer these questions, we propose Xylazine Exposure among Baltimore Residents with Addiction (XEBRA) study, a prospective cohort of PWUD in two Baltimore harm-reduction and addiction programs to assess xylazine exposure and health risks. Note from T4's documentation: In versions prior to 8. 4.

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1. --> Rural MAPS: a Multi-level Approach to Preventing and treating adolescent Substance use Natalie Spicyn , MD, Assistant Professor, School of Medicine , Co - Principal Investigator Noah Triplett, M. D.

, Assistant Research Professor, School of Medicine, Co-Principal Investigator Cindy Schaeffer, M. D. , Associate Professor, School of Medicine , Co-Principal Investigator Adolescent substance use is a major public health concern.

Adolescence is a critical developmental period, marked by major cognitive, physical, and social change. Adolescence is also a period of increased risk-taking and increased risk, including for initiating substance use and developing a substance use disorder. Adolescence is the most common stage when individuals first begin using substances.

Substance use in adolescence is associated with a variety of short-term risks, including motor vehicle crashes, increased prevalence of sexually transmitted infections, and higher rates of non-accidental injury. Adolescent substance use is also associated with great societal and healthcare costs as well as increased risk of developing substance use disorder (SUD) and other poor health outcomes later in life.

Rural adolescents are uniquely and disproportionately impacted by substance use. Adolescents in rural areas drink alcohol at higher rates and are more likely to engage in high-risk behaviors than their urban peers, like extreme binge drinking (15+ drinks) or driving under the influence. Rural adolescents also misuse opioids at higher levels than urban adolescents.

Understanding the interplay between the rural context and adolescent substance use and intervention is critical. Theoretical traditions in the fields of human development and psychopathology have long acknowledged the impact of social and environmental factors on human behavior,11,12 and research have commonly linked community, school, and social influences to adolescent substance use.

However, mixed-method research that blends qualitative data from rural communities with quantitative measures, such as those of social determinants of health, is needed to better understand how rural environments may confer greater risks and protection against substance use problems. This is critical to developing effective intervention strategies and improving wellbeing and decreasing substance use across the lifespan.

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--> Celebrating Families! Training and Implementation, Baltimore City, 0-3 Population Focus James Jang , PhD, UMB School of Social Work, Principal Investigator Jennifer Lowther, MSW , Program Director , Co-Principal Investigator A 2024 report published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), indicated that substance use disorders (SUDs) are on the rise, and that 48.

7 million people over the age of 12 in the U.S. had a Substance Use Disorder (SUD) in the past year [1]. While there is limited data available regarding the prevalence of SUDs among parents, a 2019 study found that there may be 4. 8 million American adults living with children who were experiencing a SUD [2].

Despite the large number of families that could benefit from interventions, there are limited evidence-based interventions available to address SUDs within the family context.

Research suggests that the earliest years of a child's life (ages 0 to 3) are the most critical for cognitive, social, and emotional development [3], yet families in marginalized communities often lack access to the supportive resources necessary to foster healthy growth during this crucial period [4].

Structural inequities, including intergenerational trauma, substance use disorders (SUDs), economic instability, and systemic racial discrimination exacerbate disparities in early childhood development [5].

For children between the ages 0-3, the research suggests early childhood neglect, unstable caregiving environments, and lack of access to enriching early learning opportunities can have long-term consequences, including poor school readiness, developmental delays, and behavioral challenges [6] Baltimore City has a high concentration of children living in at-risk families, many of whom face systemic barriers that impede their developmental, emotional, and social well-being [7].

While early intervention is critical to breaking cycles of poverty and adversity [8], there are limited evidence- based programs in Baltimore City that focus specifically on families with children ages 0-3. Without early engagement, children from disadvantaged and under resourced communities enter kindergarten already behind their peers, contributing to an achievement gap that persists throughout their educational careers [9].

To disrupt intergenerational SUDs a focused approach that prioritizes outreach and intervention for families with young children is critical in mitigating the long-term effects of early childhood adversity due to SUDs. Celebrating Families! (CF!)

is a model that has been developed to support families experiencing SUDs through an intergenerational, community-based intervention. Early studies of this model have yielded statistically significant results indicating that parents increase their social, emotional, and coping and health promotion skills, and decreases the risk of addiction.

These studies also show statistically significant improvements in family communication skills and cohesion and that children showed a decrease in covert aggression and attention/concentration problems. Participating families were seen to have a significant reduction in time to family reunification [10]. .

More evaluation of this program is needed to understand the scope of its impacts. By implementing and evaluating CF! we aim to determine its impact, which will contribute to the evidence base.

If the model is shown to be effective it could be adopted in other locations thus expanding the available interventions for families affected by SUDs. Additionally, this initiative will serve as an intervention for families affected by substance use disorders (SUDs) and a groundbreaking training opportunity for future practitioners and community health workers. Note from T4's documentation: In versions prior to 8.

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--> An Immersive Virtual Reality Intervention to Mitigate Opioid Misuse in Adults: A Feasibility and Acceptability Pilot Study Titilola Akintola-Mala PhD, Research Staff Scientist, School of Nursing , Principal Investigator Luana Colloca , PhD, Professor, School of Social Nursing, Principal Investigator Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) continues to be a major public health crisis in the United States affecting more than 2 million people in the United States (Azadfard 2023).

Despite this, recent estimates from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) show that only 1 in 5 people receive the needed treatment (Jones 2023). OUD disproportionately affects underserved urban populations with profound implications for individuals, families, communities and cities (Dydyk 2023; NJOTF 2019).

Baltimore specifically, has seen a rise in opioid-related overdose deaths, recording more than 44% of Maryland’s overdose deaths in 2024 (ORF2025). With rates above the national average, the limited available resources are often limited strained, contributing to Baltimore being underserved (Gondré-Lewis 2023).

The standard of care for OUD is FDA approved medications for OUD (MOUD) (including Methadone, Buprenorphine, Suboxone) and psychotherapeutic interventions. Psychosocial interventions are often highly encouraged alongside MOUD to modify dysfunctional cognitive and behavioral patterns that are intrinsic to OUD (Bruneau, 2018; Rice 2020) including craving—a central component of OUD.

While a number of psychotherapeutic interventions exist, they see limited success due to various issues including limited access (often related to transportation issues), lack of patient engagement and motivation and stigma (Bremmer 2023, Jones 2023). Previous meta analyses show that up to half (37%-50%) of people in traditional psychosocial OUD treatments drop out in less than 3 months (Dutra 2008; Lappan 2020).

Due to these barriers, relapse rates remain high, presenting a compelling need to develop innovative and evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions that can enhance treatment engagement and retention, reduce relapse and improve OUD outcomes. Note from T4's documentation: In versions prior to 8. 4.

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--> Addiction and Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies: Knowledge, Attitudes and Training Needs of the Social Work and Nursing Workforces Megan Meyer MSW, PhD, School of Social Work – Principle Investigator Andrew Coop , PhD, School of Pharmacy – Co-Investigator Fernando Wagner , PhD, School of Social Work – Co-Investigator Seante Hatcher , MSW, School of Social Work – Co-Investigator Lynn Marie Bullock , DNP, RN, NEA-BC, School of Nursing – Co-Investigator A growing body of research on the potential of psychedelic-assisted therapies (PAT) to treat a variety of mental health conditions, including substance abuse and addiction, has coincided with rising mental health and substance abuse rates in recent years and the drug decriminalization movement, fueling what’s being described as the “psychedelic renaissance” (Brain Futures, 2022).

It is well-known, for instance, that substance use disorders (SUDs) and death rates due to substance use have risen in the last decade, especially during the pandemic, with over 106,600 deaths due to drug overdose in 2021 - the highest on record (Panchal et al. , 2023).

Rates of psychedelic use are no exception to rising use rates, with an estimated 2% of the U.S. population using hallucinogens in 2018 (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2019), an increase of 56% since 2015 (Yockey et al. , 2020). Coinciding with escalation in drug abuse and overdose rates, however, is research evidence demonstrating the efficacy of PAT to treat addiction.

A 2016 systematic review of 25 years of clinical trials summarized the anti-addictive effects of psychedelics, presenting evidence supporting the efficacy of LSD and psilocybin for treating alcohol, tobacco and heroin use disorders (dos Santos et al. , 2016).

A 2017 study of 44,000 illicit opioid users, from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health between 2008 and 2013, found psychedelic use was associated with a 40% reduced risk of opioid abuse and 27% reduced risk of dependence (Pisano et al. , 2017).

A 2019 survey of 343 respondents with prior alcohol use disorder (AUD) and reporting cessation or reduction after the use of psychedelics in non-clinical settings found that 83% no longer met the AUD criteria following their psychedelic experience (Garcia-Romeu et al. , 2019). Note from T4's documentation: In versions prior to 8.

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--> Preventing Early Career Burnout and Attrition in Early Career Behavioral Health Professionals in Social Work and Nursing: A Qualitative Pilot Study Paul Sacco , PhD, MSW, School of Social Work – Principal Investigator Laura Ting , PhD, MA, School of Social Work – Principal Investigator The purpose of this study is to foster a highly skilled and committed workforce, the proposed project aims to conduct pilot exploratory analysis with the goal of developing intervention components to prevent burnout and increase retention among early career behavioral health professionals.

Using a sequential QUAL qual design, 41 we will begin by gathering data from newly graduated social workers and nurses (>6 months & <2 years) working in behavioral health settings and then conduct interviews with clinical supervisors and program directors in behavioral health settings.

In the interviews with new clinicians, we will explore their personal strategies for preventing burnout, their future intentions with respect to leaving their jobs, and the support they are currently receiving at work. We will also ask them to reflect on and discuss various potential modalities for helping to offset burnout and promote retention including compensation, training, and clinical supervision.

Using insights gathered from the new clinicians, we will then conduct interviews with provider leadership. During these interviews, we will share information about main themes from the new clinicians, with an emphasis on gathering leaderships&rsquo; feedback about the feasibility and scalability of different potential interventions where they work.

We will also explore their ideas for retaining staff and preventing burnout among early career behavioral health providers. Our specific aims Specific Aim 1: Examine how early career nurses and social workers in behavioral health settings remain engaged with their work and avoid occupational burnout and explore the acceptability of potential individual level approaches.

Specific Aim 2: Explore the feasibility and scalability of retention intervention components for implementation among new clinicians working in behavioral health settings.

Our aims are closely aligned with The Center for Addiction Research, Education, and Service (CARES) mission, Core 1: Workforce development and community-based training and technical assistance) of the CARES mission which states that faculty will &ldquo;Conduct needs assessment by discipline to identify primary barriers to addiction-related workforce participation and retention among behavioral health professionals&rdquo; (see https://www.

umaryland. edu/cares/). The proposed research also reflects the goals of a NIDA Notice of Special Interest (NOT-DA-23-008).

In this NOSI, it states, &ldquo;There are numerous individual-, organizational-, and system-level challenges to recruiting, training, and retaining behavioral health professionals. Unfortunately, little research has been conducted to develop and evaluate strategies to addressing these challenges. &rdquo; Note from T4's documentation: In versions prior to 8.

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--> Improving the Linkage and Retention to Outpatient Psychiatric Care in Individuals with Max Spaderna, MD, School of Social Medicine – Principal Investigator Sarah Kattakuzhy, MD, MPH, School of Medicine – Co-Investigator Habib Omari, PhD, School of Medicine – Co-Investigator Elana Rosenthal, MD, School of Social Medicine – Co-Investigator This study will look at barriers and facilitators associated with linkage to, delayed linkage to, and retention in psychiatric care.

To answer these questions, we will use data from the Long-term Outcomes of Opioid-using Persons (LOOP) study, a two-year, prospective, natural-history cohort of 200 individuals designed to characterize opioid use. The LOOP study is fully enrolled and anticipated to complete data collection in August 2023. Participants were eligible for LOOP if they were older than 18 years old and met criteria for OUD within the past three years.

Every six months, LOOP participants complete surveys regarding their demographics, substance use outcomes, psychiatric symptoms, and quality of life outcomes.

Patients identified as needing a referral to a psychiatrist can be linked either to a psychiatrist in the community or a psychiatrist associated with LOOP that can treat patients through AIM 1: Identify factors associated with linkage to psychiatric care in patients with OUD referred for psychiatric treatment.

&bull; Hypothesis 1a: Successful linkage will be associated with lower OUD scores, more severe psychiatric illness as rated by screening tools, and telemedicine mode of psychiatric services (vs. in person) o Endpoint: Linkage to care, defined as attendance of at least one visit with the &bull; Hypothesis 1b: Time to linkage to care, defined as number of days from referral to first intake appointment, will be associated with OUD scores and mode of psychiatric services o Endpoint: Time to linkage to psychiatric care with the LOOP psychiatrist Aim 1 Approach: Utilizing existing data from LOOP, we will identify patients referred to the LOOP psychiatrist at any time point and assess for linkage and time to linkage to psychiatric care.

Frequencies of demographics, substance use outcomes, severity of psychiatric illness, model of care visit (in person vs. telemedicine) and quality of life metrics will be compared based on linkage (Aim 1a) and time to linkage (Aim 1b) to care. Multivariable logistic regression models will be used to compute adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for associations between multiple factors and linkage to psychiatric care.

Poisson regression models will be used to compute incidence rates of delayed linkage in care. Multivariable Cox proportional-hazards models will be used to determine factors associated with delayed linkage to care. Patients will accumulate person-time from when they are referred to psychiatric care to when they attend their first visit with the LOOP psychiatrist.

AIM 2: Identify factors associated with retention in psychiatric care for patients with OUD.

&bull; Hypothesis 2: Retention in psychiatric care with the LOOP psychiatrist for patients with OUD will be associated with lower OUD scores and telemedicine mode of psychiatric services (vs. telemedicine) o Endpoint: Retention in care, defined as remaining in psychiatric care with the LOOP psychiatrist for 6 months after linkage Aim 2 Approach: Utilizing LOOP data, we will compare patients with OUD based on their retention in psychiatric care by frequencies of demographics, substance use, severity of psychiatric illness as rated by screening tools, model of care visit (in person vs. telemedicine), and quality of life metrics.

Multivariable log-binomial regression models will be used to compute adjusted risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals for associations between multiple factors and retention in psychiatric care. AIM 3: Understand barriers and facilitators to linkage to and retention in psychiatric care for Note from T4's documentation: In versions prior to 8. 4.

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1. --> Community-Based Participatory Research Methods in the Development of a Systems of Care for Substance Using Latino Immigrants in Baltimore: A Phase I CBPR Pilot Study Nalini Negi, Ph. D.

, MSW, Associate Professor, University of Maryland School of Social Work, Principal Investigator Wendy Camelo Castillo , MD MSc Ph. D. , Assistant Professor, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Co-Principal Investigator Fernando Wagner , Sc.

D. , MPH, Professor, University of Maryland School of Social Work, Co-Principal Investigator Project Description: Latinos who are mostly foreign-born and monolingual are among the fastest-growing groups in Baltimore.

With CARES funding, we will gather important Phase I pilot data for a NIH R01 proposal to implement a larger research program to build an integrated system of care for under-insured or uninsurable substance-using Latino im/migrants (LM).

Using Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) principles, six focus groups with LM and six with behavioral health specialists (BHS) will be conducted to elucidate barriers and facilitators to SUD services in Baltimore. Next, a Community Advisory Board (CAB) consisting of LM and BHS will co-initiate the building of a “system of care” approach for substance-using underinsured, and uninsurable Latino immigrants in Baltimore.

This application represents an important step toward decreasing health disparities among an extremely vulnerable and underserved population, Latino immigrants. Note from T4's documentation: In versions prior to 8. 4.

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1. --> Assessment of Correctional Center Educational Needs to Promote Treatment with Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (Project ACCEPT-MOUD) Brook W. Kearley , Ph.

D. Research Assistant Professor, University of Maryland School of Social Work, Principal Investigator Annabelle M. Belcher , Ph.

D. , Assistant Professor, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Co-Investigator Alexandra Wimberly , Ph. D.

Assistant Professor, University of Maryland School of Social Work, Co-Investigator Project Description: This qualitative study will assess potential barriers to staff