IRIS Spring 2022 Newsletter

2021 Pilot Projects Progress

As our 2021 pilot projects continue to develop their work, here are some updates from a few projects. These write-ups are provided by the projects:

Are You Seeing Clearly? Refocus, Look Again: Anti-Stigma Training Pilot for Maryland’s OUD Treatment Community 

Project Contact: Jennifer Brown


“Recognizing that Substance Use Disorders (SUDs), including Opioid Use Disorder (OUD), are among the most stigmatized health conditions in the U.S., despite the many evidence-based treatment options, The Anti-Stigma Project (ASP) of On Our Own of Maryland, Inc. has created a specialized version of our Stigma … In Our Work, In Our Lives interactive workshop, including the creation of a new educational video."

On Our Own of Maryland Logo

"We conducted 20 preliminary and nine final video interviews with persons with lived experience, family members, and OUD/Medication Based Treatment (MBT) providers, to show the intersectionality of stigmatizing experiences, such as within the faith community and the healthcare system, and specific aspects of stigma, such as stigma based on which substance and which method of use, and MBT use during pregnancy.  The stories are thoughtful, sometimes heartbreaking, but above all, hopeful.  The finished video is now being used as part of the 2-hour webinar, which was first piloted for the IRIS research team in early April and will be provided to ten OUD/MBT site partners between now and August, the first one taking place April 15th! Throughout the process, ASP staff have met regularly with researchers to strategize ways to better understand how participants are impacted by different elements of the workshop.  Our overall design has long incorporated two key factors in stigma reduction, education and contact, and our approach was found to have positive impact by a 2008 research study conducted with Dr. Patrick Corrigan, published in the Community Mental Health Journal. We look forward to our continued work with the IRIS research team as well as our partnerships with the site partners, to continue to reduce the stigma that creates such significant barriers to recovery from substance use challenges. For more information on our public education campaign, check out www.refocuslookagain.org or @refocuslookagain on social media.”

Supporting the Wellness and Recovery of People Receiving Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) at Baltimore County Detention Center (BCDC): A Qualitative Study

Project Contact: Brook Kearley, PhD


"During the first reporting period of our grant award, the research team has attended biweekly meetings with the BCDC MOUD Team; finalized the staff and former participant interview protocols with the Team’s review and input; received UMB IRB approval and worked with BHA to obtain additional necessary approvals; trained two graduate students who will be assisting with recruitment and interviews with staff and former participants; and met regularly with Baltimore County Health Department leadership to establish the necessary permissions and protocols for staff to be interviewed and to assist with our recruitment of former participants. We are now preparing to begin interview activities throughout summer 2022, with continued cooperation and coordination with Baltimore County Health Department and the BCDC MOUD Team."

(MBHS) Maryland Behavioral Health Solutions Logo

MBHS RSS Data Modernization Research Project


Project Contact: Shannon Hall, JD


“In order to help guide quality improvement initiatives, we need good data on SUD/OUD recovery support services. Maryland Behavioral Health Solutions (MBHS) is a provider network composed of behavioral health providers with the singular goal of improving quality and access to care and launching quality improvement initiatives to maximize the capacity of the network."

"The IRIS funded RSS Data Modernization Research Project is leveraging data analytics via its multi-provider data warehouse to gain immediate insights that can inform quality improvement initiatives. As a result of our survey among providers in the network, it was revealed that there were many challenges with leveraging RSS information so far - but this is something MBHS can tackle! We've already begun analyzing available insights from the multi-provider database warehouse which will provide us prevalence rates for SUD and co-occurring conditions as well as an estimate about how often emergency department visits happen for these individuals. At the end of the day, our goal is to ensure that people receive quality services that are person-centered, evidence-based, and support their recovery journey.”

IRIS Recovery Research Fellowship

Coming Soon!

IRIS Fellowship Image

A 10-month learning community to build research skills towards greater peer workforce integration into the opioid recovery support system.


 Fellows will represent diverse recovery roles: peers, clinicians, other agency staff, graduate students, and junior faculty. 

Learn More About the Fellowship

Research Corner

Emerging research in the field of OUD treatment and recovery

Article Title: Letting the Sun Shine on Patient Voices: Perspectives About Medications for Opioid Use Disorder in Florida


Amanda Sharp, Melissa Carlson, Veronica Howell, Kathleen Moore, Zev Schuman-Olivier. April 2021 in Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. 


Write-up by IRIS team member: Eunsong Park

Read the Research Corner
Colorful books on shelves

We're Hiring!

Application link coming soon!

Peer Recovery Research Specialist


This grant-funded position supports the efforts of two active research projects: (1) Innovations in Recovery through Infrastructure Support (IRIS), funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and (2) Evaluation of a Behavioral Health Urgent Care Clinic funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA). 

Join Our Team

Clinical Research Assistant


This position will work with researchers and staff from the IRIS team as well as community partners active in substance use services, training, and advocacy.  The selected candidate will provide administrative support to the IRIS team on internally driven projects and help community partners implement research studies. 

Learn More

Upcoming Online Trainings

Measuring What Matters: Using Data to Evaluate, Develop and Improve Programs


How do you know if the services your agency provides are effective? Do you know how your program is being received by clients? In this training, we will introduce you to the core concepts of program evaluation and provide the tools to help you measure what matters for your organization. We will build comfort around concepts and practice of data collection, analysis and presentation for those without a research background. 

Presented by: Drs. Nicole Mattocks & Jay Unick, IRIS


Date: Friday, May 27

Time: 9 AM -12 PM

Registration link coming soon

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