Measuring Early Recovery in Street Outreach

The IRIS-funded, PEP-led research project is complete, with many important lessons learned. PEP wished to develop a measure to capture the benefits of low-barrier, street outreach services to unhoused populations, which often serve as building blocks to later stages of recovery. The research team adapted the EUROHIS-QOL-8 quality of life scale to match program participants’ life circumstances. The measure was piloted through PEP’s peer outreach staff and showed excellent internal consistency reliability and a strong ability to measure a single construct (in this case, quality of life). A study challenge was administering the scale outside with limited time interactions and finding participants for follow-up to assess change over time. The PEP staff is considering shortening the scale and administering it at key recovery milestones, first during street outreach and then later when things have stabilized more as participants access additional services. Read the full write-up for more about this unique study and its valuable implications!

As the Maryland General Assembly is currently in session from January 10th through April 8th, a broad range of senate and house bills are moving through the legislative branch. Several relate to substance use, harm reduction, and healthcare funding. IRIS has summarized the currently pending House Bill 1268 (HB 1268) and withdrawn Senate Bill 497 (SB 497). Both bills relate to statewide naloxone accessibility. As IRIS continues to promote evidence-based treatment and recovery supports for opioid use disorder, we encourage advocates and policymakers to utilize research which supports increased naloxone access. As naloxone is an effective medication for opioid overdose reversal (Center for Disease Control, 2023), reducing barriers to access is vital. With 2,230 unintentional opioid overdose deaths in Maryland in 2022 (Maryland Department of Health, 2023), there is an urgent need for proven, life-saving tools such as naloxone.

This recently published paper describes findings from an observational study of peer worker training outcomes in Texas. Peer worker trainees were part of a training scholarship program funded by HRSA, and factors such as demographics, life history, recovery history, and psychosocial states of trainees were assessed to see if any were associated with a greater or lesser likelihood of completing three training stages. For those without access to academic databases, you may see the abstract here or request a copy of the publication from the author at sjcastedo@chestnut.org.

Maryland Treatment Centers is offering a new program "Building Opioid Recovery Support Networks to Engage, Initiate, and Retain Young Adults in Medication for Opioid Use Disorder," (BOND). Based on the evidence-based Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT) model, this program provides support for concerned family members and friends struggling with their young adult loved one’s use of opioids like heroin, fentanyl, or Percocet. Whether your goal is to help get your loved one into treatment or get them to stay in treatment, this program provides you the guidance and tools to achieve your goal, including ways to improve effective communication skills, increase your loved one’s motivation, and access resources to support their recovery. Sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), help from program therapists is free of charge to those who qualify. This program provides help for you intending to help your loved one(s) but does not require that they participate. Services can be in-person or remote by telehealth but are limited to those in the state of Maryland.

Contact Maryland Treatments Centers to see if you qualify for free clinical services. Fill out the screening form or reach them via at 240-739-0601 or email at mtcbond@gmail.com for more information.

University of Maryland (UMB) Schools of Medicine and Social Work faculty have been collaborating since 2020 with the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) on Workplace PROSPER (Partnering to Reduce Opioid Stigma and Promote Employment in Recovery), a project aimed at engaging employers in opioid epidemic mitigation. The research team has two active grants related to this effort and anticipates additional funded projects. Current projects under these grants include a statewide effort to get more naloxone into the hands of construction workers, who have a higher opioid overdose rate than other Maryland workers, and supporting the MDH in developing programs that help employers adopt policies and practices consistent with a recovery-friendly approach. Learn more here.