Project Information and Program Synopsis
Alanna Boulton, MSHA, PMP
- The B-Team – The first of its kind in the state of Texas, the Buprenorphine Team (B-Team) is a full-service consultation program that provides hospitalized patients with opioid use disorder access to hospital-based treatment and linkage to appropriate outpatient care.
- SHOUT Texas – Support Hospital Opioid Use Treatment (SHOUT) Texas is a program at Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin that works to increase access to evidence-based substance and opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment and harm reduction during acute hospitalization throughout the state of Texas.
- ReSET– Reducing Stigma Educational Tools (ReSET) are robust and interactive online learning environment supported by a grant from the Association of American Medical Colleges to reimagine the way that health care trainees and practicing professionals learn about the opioid crisis.
Contact Information: Alanna.boulton@austin.utexas.edu
Calandra Bradford
ORN is a SAMHSA funded initiative that was launched in 2017 in response to the opioid crisis. ORN provides free technical assistance, resources, education and training to individuals, organizations and communities. We have local consultants in all 50 states and nine territories to respond to local needs by providing free educational resources and training to states, communities and individuals in the prevention, treatment and recovery of opioid use disorders and stimulant use.
Contact Information: calandra.bradford@austin.utexas.edu
Henry Shelton Brown, III, PhD
STREETS (Safe TRavel Environment Evaluation in Texas Schools) – The STREETS Study (Safe TRavel Environment Evaluation in Texas Schools) is a five-year (2018 – 2023) natural experiment that is evaluating the City of Austin Safe Routes to School program.
HEAL (Healthy Eating Active Living) – This project is a clinic-community based intervention to implement an early life-cycle approach to obesity prevention among pregnant women and women with infants from low-income families.
Contact Information: henry.s.brown@uth.tmc.edu
Sierra Castedo de Martell, MPH
Dissertation research: peer worker trainee recruitment, retention, and workforce development, and modeling peer recovery support services cost-effectiveness. Graduate research assistant and evaluator for the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) funded Opioid Workforce Expansion Program project at UTHealth, training peer workers over 3 years across Texas, and project coordinator for the HRSA Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET)-funded Recovery Support Peer Specialists project.
Contact Information: Sierra.J.CastedodeMartell@uth.tmc.edu
Namkee G. Choi, PhD
Opioid poisoning among those aged 50+ in the National Poison Data System (NPDS)
Contact Information: nchoi@austin.utexas.edu
Jessica Duncan Cance, MPH, PhD
Dr. Cance serves as the project director of the Epidemiology and Evaluation Support of the Texas Targeted Opioid Response Project. RTI is providing resources to support special projects funded by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission based at the University of Texas at Austin, including the analysis of opioid-related administrative data, expert consultation in relevant subject matter, and support towards the development of dissemination products.
Dr. Cance serves as the project director of the evaluation of the Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts’ (FORE) COVID-19 National Emergency Effort. The goals of this developmental evaluation are to: 1) identify common barriers and facilitators to implementing recovery support services in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2) document the collective successes of grantees, and 3) create a learning environment for the foundation and grantees.
Dr. Cance serves as the project director of the evaluation of the University of Texas at Austin SHIFT Initiative. SHIFT is a community-wide initiative designed to shift the campus culture around substance misuse and create a national model for substance misuse prevention among college students. Responsibilities include co-constructing the program logic model, developing and executing an evaluation strategy, serving as an advisor to pilot fund recipients, and disseminating findings.
Contact Information: jcance@rti.org
Kasey Claborn, Ph.D.
Project Connect aims to improve overdose surveillance and prevention response efforts through the development and implementation of a digital platform. Project HEART aims to develop a behavioral intervention for people living with HIV who use illicit drugs. This intervention aims to improve medication adherence and linkage to substance use treatment.
Contact Information: kasey.claborn@austin.utexas.edu
Fiona Conway, Ph.D.
Most evidence-based treatments for opioid use disorders (OUD) require face-to-face interactions with individuals who comprise a recovery support network. However, at the specific moment when people in recovery relapse, often they are not in the presence of these trusted individuals. They may also be unable or unwilling to contact individuals who support their recovery by phone or text messages. They are alone, or they are with others who facilitate their drug use. This project sponsored by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission Texas Targeted Opioid Response (TTOR) grant aims to address this issue by providing people in recovery with a heart-rate biofeedback smartphone app to guide them through slow-paced breathing exercises at the specific moments they feel compelled to use. Consistent use of these breathing exercises can also reduce stress, general anxiety, depression, and drug cravings. We partner with peer-specialist recovery coaches from the Recovery Support Services of Texas Health and Human Services Commission to provide this intervention to people in their networks.
Stephen Hicks School of Social Work
Contact Information: fiona.conway@austin.utexas.edu
Diana DiNitto, Ph.D., ACSW, LCSW, AADC
Steve Hicks School of Social Work Integrated Behavioral Health Scholars Program
Contact Information: ddinitto@mail.utexas.edu
Lauren Gaydosh
One current project focuses on the role of despair in predicting substance use behaviors, including opioid use. The University of Texas at Austin Population Research Center
Contact Information: lauren.gaydosh@austin.utexas.edu
S. Scott Graham
Dr. Graham is the author of The Politics of Pain Medicine (University of Chicago Press, 2015), serves as a consultant with Project Connect. He is also collaborating with Steve Hicks School of Social Work faculty to study best practices for stigma reduction on social media. Additional information on Dr. Graham’s research is available at sscottgraham.com.
Contact Information: ssg@utexas.edu
Lucas G. Hill, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP
The PhARM Program provides continuing education to a broad range of health professionals via the Texas Opioid Training Initiative, leads overdose prevention efforts across multiple campuses through Operation Naloxone, and conducts innovative research to identify and address gaps in implementation of evidence-based interventions for substance use and addiction.
Contact Information: lucas.hill@austin.utexas.edu
Lori Holleran Steiker, PhD, ACSW
Dr. Lori Holleran Steiker, an addictions therapist (30+ years) turned educator/scholar works to create the best possible education, support, and interdisciplinary projects at and beyond UT. Dr. Holleran Steiker has over 100 peer-reviewed publications and three books, including her text, Youth and Substance Use: Prevention, Intervention and Recovery (2016) and Substance Abusing Latinos: Current Research on Epidemiology, Prevention and Treatment (co-authors, De la Rosa & Ashenberg-Straussner, 2005).
Dr. Holleran Steiker is nationally known for her research, leadership, and scholarship in the area of youth and young adult substance misuse, SUD, and recovery. Starting in 2003, she had an NIH National Institute of Drug Abuse K01 Mentored Research Scientist award and she used this to pursue mentorship and conduct culturally grounded substance abuse prevention programs (tested quasi-experimentally at 10 sites).
Dr. Holleran Steiker established the data gathering protocol at University High School and has also conducted qualitative data on families at UHS to inform practices. Dr. Holleran Steiker was the initiator and Director of the 2017-18 UT Pop Up Institute, funded ($50,000) by varied UT departments and the VP of Research, entitled, “Toward Solving the Problem of Substance Misuse & Addiction among Youth and Emerging Adults”. She has worked with SAMHSA, Communities for Recovery, and Cardea Research to enhance evidence and awareness of the needs of women, young women, adolescent girls, and young children. She also worked with a multidisciplinary team at UT Austin, UT San Antonio, and the VA to explore prevention interventions for student veterans. Click here for links and descriptions of her research projects.
Regarding Opioid response and Overdose prevention, Dr. Holleran Steiker spearheaded overdose prevention and response initiatives on the University of Texas campus, serving as Co-Investigator of the Texas Targeted Opioid Response (TTOR) grants with over $10 million to address the Opioid Crisis and prevent drug overdoses (PI, Lucas Hill). She helped found and serve as Co-Director of the Interdisciplinary OperationNaloxone providing overdose prevention and response education to students, health professionals, and the public to combat the opioid crisis using harm reduction strategies. She is an expert called upon readily in Texas for being a system connector among professionals, services and agencies. She helped start the Austin Recovery Network and has Chaired and served on the Board of the Texas Harm Reduction Alliance. She builds bridges, advocacy and reduction of stigma around Harm Reduction work and related initiatives.
Dr. Holleran Steiker has served as the faculty liaison for the University of Texas at Austin’s Center for Students (CSR) in Recovery since its inception in 2004 and assisted with the expansion to all 9 UT campuses when supported by Regents. Dr. Holleran Steiker is the Chair of the Steve Hicks Endowment Addictions Advisory Committee. She is founder and member of the leadership team of SHIFT UT, an initiative to change the UT culture around Substance Use Safety, Prevention, Harm Reduction and Wellness (foundation funded as of Fall, 2018 for $3.4 million). Her Signature Course, “Young People and Drugs” is in high demand, and she teaches this Signature Course to 150-275 undergraduate and transfer students each year. She presented “Innovative Addiction Solutions” for the University Lecture Series (ULS) in Spring, 2018.
Contact Information: lorikay@mail.utexas.edu
Victoria Holloman
ORN is a SAMHSA funded initiative that was launched in 2017 in response to the opioid crisis. ORN provides free technical assistance, resources, education and training to individuals, organizations and communities. We have local consultants in all 50 states and nine territories to respond to local needs by providing free educational resources and training to states, communities and individuals in the prevention, treatment and recovery of opioid use disorders and stimulant use.
Contact Information: vholloman@austin.utexas.edu
Beth Hutton, MS, LPC
The Opioid Response Network (ORN) is a SAMHSA funded initiative that was launched in 2017 in response to the opioid crisis. ORN provides free technical assistance, resources, education and training to individuals, organizations, and communities. We have local consultants in all 50 states and nine territories to respond to local needs by providing free educational resources and training to states, communities and individuals in the prevention, treatment and recovery of opioid use disorders and stimulant use.
The Addiction Research Institute (ARI), housed within the Steve Hicks School of Social Work at the University of Texas, focuses on issues related to substance-use disorder prevalence, treatment and long-term, healthy functioning free from addictions. Based on a social work perspective, ARI projects focus on factors that influence resilience and recovery at the individual, family, organizational, societal, and cultural levels. Through agreements with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, ARI provides a variety of Recovery Support Services trainings, including Medication-Assisted Recovery Services (MARS), Certified MAT Advocate (CMA), Core, Recovery Support Peer Specialist (RSPS), Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) and Harm Reduction.
Contact Information: b.hutton@austin.utexas.edu
Jessica Hughes Wagner
The Center for Health Communication is funded by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) Texas Targeted Opioid Response (TTOR) program to research, create, implement, and evaluate two distinct projects:
A statewide PSA campaign aimed at preventing prescription opioid misuse, addiction, and overdose. This campaign was developed in response to HB 3285, passed by the Texas Legislature in 2019. More info here.
A statewide campaign promoting prescribers’ use of the Texas Prescription Monitoring Program, a database managed by the Texas State Board of Pharmacy that collects and monitors controlled substance prescription and dispensation data. More info here.
Contact Information:jessicahugheswagner@gmail.com
Susan Kirtz
The Center for Health Communication is funded by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) Texas Targeted Opioid Response (TTOR) program to research, create, implement, and evaluate two distinct projects:
A statewide PSA campaign aimed at preventing prescription opioid misuse, addiction, and overdose. This campaign was developed in response to HB 3285, passed by the Texas Legislature in 2019.
A statewide campaign promoting prescribers’ use of the Texas Prescription Monitoring Program, a database managed by the Texas State Board of Pharmacy that collects and monitors controlled substance prescription and dispensation data.
Contact Information: susan.kirtz@austin.utexas.edu
Lindsey J. Loera, PharmD
Contact Information: lindsey.loera@austin.utexas.edu
Michael Mackert
The Center for Health Communication is funded by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) Texas Targeted Opioid Response (TTOR) program to research, create, implement, and evaluate two distinct projects:A statewide PSA campaign aimed at preventing prescription opioid misuse, addiction, and overdose. This campaign was developed in response to HB 3285, passed by the Texas Legislature in 2019. A statewide campaign promoting prescribers’ use of the Texas Prescription Monitoring Program, a database managed by the Texas State Board of Pharmacy that collects and monitors controlled substance prescription and dispensation data.
Contact Information: mackert@utexas.edu
Jane C. Maxwell, PhD
I live in Salisbury, NC but stay current on what is happening in Austin and continue my epi research to keep my mind active.
Monitoring drug and trends in the US and world, with participation in NIDA-sponsored epidemiology work groups and international drug trends including a year as a Fulbright scholar in Australia. Previous research grants from NIAAA and NIDA. Membership on SAMHSA and FDA national advisory councils.
Contact Information: jcmaxwell@austin.utexas.edu
Tim Mercer, MD, MPH
At Dell Med, Mercer leads the development of the global health program. Under his leadership, Dell Med has joined the AMPATH Consortium in Kenya. He is also seeking to establish a long-term, mutually beneficial, bilateral partnership with a medical school in Mexico to engage across the trifold academic mission of service, teaching and research to strengthen health systems and improve health outcomes for low-income people in both Mexico and Texas. He teaches and mentors medical students on global health and is also engaging interdisciplinary faculty members from across the campus of The University of Texas at Austin in global health work.
Contact Information: tim.mercer@austin.utexas.edu
Christopher Moriates, M.D.
Support Hospital Opioid Use disorder Treatment (SHOUT) Texas is a program at Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin and UT Health San Antonio’s TxMOUD that is working to increase access to substance and opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment and harm reduction during acute hospitalization. It is built on the work of the Buprenorphine Team at Dell Seton Medical Center, the first hospital in Texas to develop an inter-professional approach to identifying patients with OUD, initiating buprenorphine therapy, linking patients to outpatient addiction care at discharge, and providing institutional education and stigma reduction.
Contact Information: cmoriates@austin.utexas.edu
Maureen Nichols
The Addiction Research Institute (ARI), housed within the Steve Hicks School of Social Work at the University of Texas, focuses on issues related to substance-use disorder prevalence, treatment and long-term, healthy functioning free from addictions. Based on a social work perspective, ARI projects focus on factors that influence resilience and recovery at the individual, family, organizational, societal, and cultural levels. Through agreements with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, ARI provides a variety of Recovery Support Services trainings, including Medication-Assisted Recovery Services (MARS), Certified MAT Advocate (CMA), Core, Recovery Support Peer Specialist (RSPS), Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) and Harm Reduction.
The South-Southwest Addiction Technology Transfer Center (SSW ATTC) is located in the Addiction Research Institute at the Steve Hicks School of Social Work in Austin, TX. We are funded by SAMHSA to help people and organizations implement effective practices for substance use disorder treatment and recovery services. In addition, we work with higher education institutions through an educational consortium to support incorporation of evidence-based practices into addictions curricula. We serve Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and American Indian Tribes and Communities (Health & Human Services Region 6).
Contact Information: mnichols@austin.utexas.edu
Mark Queralt, M.D
Back and Neck Pain Integrated Practice Unit
Contact Information:mark.queralt@gmail.com
David Ring, M.D., Ph.D.
We work on pain alleviation comprehensively, focusing on effective communication strategies and relationship building, timely and accurate diagnosis of unhelpful thoughts and feelings, and strategies for limiting opioid use. Comprehensive Care Research
Contact Information:david.ring@austin.utexas.edu
Taylor Simons, M.Ed.
Contact Information: taylor.simons@austin.utexas.edu
Mary Marden Velasquez, Ph.D.
A recent emphasis has been on teaching graduate students and health professionals to use brief motivational interventions in medical settings. Velasquez is an internationally recognized trainer in both Motivational Interviewing and the Transtheoretical Model, and is a founding member of the Steering Committee for the International Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers.
Contact Information:velasquez@austin.utexas.edu
Samantha Catanzano
I serve as a behavioral health (psych) pharmacist in the Integrated Behavioral Health department at UT Health Austin. I provide psychopharmacology consulting services to the Primary Care, Musculoskeletal, and Multiple Sclerosis clinics. I also serve our Primary Care team in various medication management roles.
Contact Information:svogel@austin.utexas.edu
Kirk von Sternberg
Along with a current intervention trial, CHOICES Plus, to prevent alcohol- and tobacco-exposed pregnancy (CDC), and a trial to test screening and brief intervention for drugs in a level 1 trauma setting (NIDA), Von Sternberg is currently involved in psychometric analyses of process of change assessments to develop briefer measures for use in a computer adaptive testing format (CAT).
Contact Information:vonsternberg@austin.utexas.edu
Isela Werchan, M.D.
Isela Werchan, M.D. runs CARMA (Collaborative Addiction Recovery Management) alongside Dr. Tirado. CARMA is a collaborative care model for persons with dual-diagnosis with primary Substance Use Disorder. Additionally, they are trying to reduce stigma and educate the community about the importance of maintenance.
Contact Information:iselaw@carmahealth.com
J. Michael Wilkerson, PhD
Integrated Treatment + Sexual Health for SGM 2019-2024
This is an evaluation of a SAMHSA-funded project at the Montrose Center aiming to increase access to treatment for African-American and Latino GBTQ+ persons and people living with HIV (PLWH) reporting chemsex. The program uses the Integrated Treatment Program (ITP) plus an assessment of client’s sexual health, shame about sexual behavior, and chemsex.
HPV Oropharyngeal cancer and screening in Gay and Bisexual Men (ORCA) 2020-2023
Collaboration with University of Minnesota, funded by NCI. To improve screening and detection of oropharyngeal cancer associated with sexual risk behavior, specifically oral sex in MSM. A 3-part study:
1) Interview medical and dental teams with large gay and bisexual men (GBM) client bases
2) Survey 1500 GBM about OPCa, HPV vaccination, experiences with providers and screening
3) Assess the feasibility of a patient monitoring telecommunications-based intervention
Harris County Data to Action (OD2A) 2020-2023
Evaluation of Harris County Public Health’s response to the opioid epidemic. Involving surveillance and implementation projects aligning with 7 strategies.
Opioid Workforce Expansion Project: Recovery Support Peer Specialist Training Program
Establish a network of workforce development hubs across Texas to enhance community-based experiential training for students preparing to become Recovery Support Peer Specialist serving people with OUD and SUD in rural, border, and hurricane disaster relief areas.
Project HOMES 2020-2022
In collaboration with community partners, we are in the process of opening and evaluating at least 13 recovery residences in the State of Texas for persons using medication assisted treatment (MAT) as part of their recovery plan.
Healthy Beaumont
Healthy Beaumont is a joint program between Legacy Community Health Clinic and UTHealth to understand the gaps of services offered in Beaumont, Texas. We are particularly interested in evaluating the HIV prevention services provided at Legacy Community Health through their MPowerment programming (MCircle/Sistah Chat).
Contact Information: Johnny.M.Wilkerson@uth.tmc.edu
Nicholas Yagoda, M.D.
Yagoda’s team has led the design and build out of Dove Springs (MAT clinic) in collaboration with Austin Integral Care and is currently looking to expand this to a hub and spoke model.
Contact Information:Nicholas.yagoda@communitycaretx.org
Jiahua (Bella) Yang
Bella’s research interests and expertise include health communication, public health stigma, substance use disorders (SUD), and opioid use disorder (OUD). Her recent research projects focus on investigating intersectional public stigma toward OUD and developing health communication strategies. Please check her recent publication: Yang, J. & Mackert, M. (2021). The effectiveness of CDC’s Rx Awareness campaigns on reducing opioid stigma: Implications for health communication, Health Communication. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2021.1982561
Contact Information:jhyang@utexas.edu
Claire Zagorski, MSc, LP
The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy (PhARM)
Contact Information:claire.zagorski@austin.utexas.edu