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Image by Katherine Hood

CURRENT PROJECTS

EXAMINING THE COVID-19 PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY ON POLICY, SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER, TREATMENT AND RESILIENCE AMONG AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE COMMUNITIES

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

We will examine the impacts of COVID-19 on substance use, substance use disorder treatment delivery and resilience via an online survey and semi-structured interviews with treatment service providers and client-relatives. This information will inform emergency and disaster related response and longer-term service needs to promote health, well-being, and public health efforts among American Indian, Alaska Native and rural communities. Funded by the NIH National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) Clinical Trials Network (CTN).

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ROLE

Contract Principal Investigator

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RESEARCH TEAM

Co-Investigators

Kamilla Venner, PhD, University of New Mexico; Aimee Campbell, PhD, Columbia University; Douglas Novins, MD, University of Colorado; Kimberly Page, PhD, CTN Principal Investigator, University of New Mexico

Research Staff

Kelsey Bajet, Mariah Brigman, Meenakshi Richardson

RE-CENTERING MEASURES FOR ALCOHOL MISUSE AMONG AMERICAN INDIAN AND
ALASKA NATIVE COMMUNITIES

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

The 50-item self-report survey the Drinker Inventory of Consequences (DrInC) and its shorter 15-item self-report survey the Short Inventory of Problems (SIP) assess five domains related to drinking consequences: (1) physical, (2) intrapersonal, (3) social responsibility, (4) interpersonal and (5) impulse control. Together with our Tribal partners and Community Advisory Board of American Indian and Alaska Native leaders and content experts, we are assessing the measures for item content validity and making recommendations for new items to capture culturally relevant negative consequences associated with alcohol misuse. The adapted measure will then be available online for American Indian and Alaska Native adults to complete. Funded by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Native Center for Alcohol Research and Education (NCARE).

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ROLE

Contract Principal Investigator

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RESEARCH TEAM

Co-Investigators

Kamilla Venner, PhD, University of New Mexico; Scott Tonigan, PhD, University of New Mexico CASAA

Research Staff

Kelsey Bajet, Meenakshi Richardson, Mariah Brigman

Partners: Rural Reservation in the Northern Plains

CULTURALLY RE-CENTERING CONTINGENCY MANAGEMENT AND BEHAVIORAL ECONOMICS TO INCREASE ENGAGEMENT WITH AMERICAN INDIAN YOUNG ADULTS

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

In partnership with a rural reservation community, Dr. Hirchak is implementing an enhanced Contingency Management (CM) intervention for 18-29 year olds, with a focus on treatment attendance and engagement in substance-free activities. A Community Advisory Board guides the research and assists with conducting focus groups and semi-structured interviews with young adults, providers, and cultural leaders to culturally center the intervention and substance-free activities. A 12-week two-group randomized controlled trial will compare standard CM with the re-centered CM which will employ mobile devices to assess engagement in substance-free activities. Funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).

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ROLE

Principal Investigator

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RESEARCH TEAM

Research Staff

Kelsey Bajet, Meenakshi Richardson, Mariah Brigman

Partners: Rural Reservation in the Northern Plains

ASSESSING FATAL AND NON-FATAL OPIOID OVERDOSES AND ACCESS TO TREATMENT AMONG AMERICAN INDIAN ADULTS IN THE SOUTHWEST

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) has been shown to effectively reduce all-cause mortality, fatal opioid poisonings, and risky substance use behaviors. Despite the need for MOUD, knowledge of the facilitators and barriers to providing MOUD in Tribal communities at the individual and provider level remains limited. As a pilot project to the existing NIDA funded R61 (R61DA049382; MPI: Venner, Qeadan, Madden), we are completing secondary data analyses to assess the availability of prescribers among diverse communities. Funded by the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) Learning for Early Careers in Addiction and Diversity (LEAD).

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ROLE

Contract Principal Investigator

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RESEARCH TEAM

Research Staff

Kelsey Bajet

CULTURALLY CENTERED MOUD FOR IMPLEMENTATION FACILITATION FOR PRIMARY CARE AND ADDICTION TREATMENT PROGRAMS SERVING AMERICAN INDIAN/ALASKA NATIVES (NIH HEALH INITIATIVE)

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

This is a two-phase formative research study to develop and test an implementation intervention for programs to provide medications to treat opioid use disorder (OUD) specifically with American Indian / Alaska Native (AI/AN) community members. The objective of Phase I (12 months) is to develop a culturally centered implementation intervention to integrate medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) into healthcare/addiction specialty settings while in Phase II (24 months) a preliminary test of the implementation intervention is conducted in four (4) sites serving AI/AN communities. This study will help with decreasing stigma and increase the utilization of MOUD in health care settings that serve AI/AN populations. Funded by the NIDA Clinical Trials Network (CTN).

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ROLE

Co-Leader

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RESEARCH TEAM

Co-Lead Investigators

Kamilla Venner, PhD, University of New Mexico; Aimee Campbell, PhD, Columbia University

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