Quality of participants’ relationships to peer recovery support specialists as a function of perceived similarities

A growing evidence base supports the value of peer recovery support specialists (PRSS), particularly due to shared lived experience with participants (recipients of PRSS services). Little research has examined whether congruence on certain aspects of “peerness” (e.g., demographics, experiences) matters for PRSS-participant relationships. Results from this pilot study suggest that PRSS-participant alignment on past experiences…

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An Exploratory Study of Overlapping Stigmas and Substance Use Stigma Among Women with Substance Use Histories who are Incarcerated

Despite the overwhelmingly negative impacts of substance use stigma, little is known about how multiple, overlapping stigmatized identities, experiences, or characteristics (henceforth stigmas) may be related to perceived substance use stigma, especially in a sample of women who are incarcerated. This study profiled stigmas reported by women in jail with substance use histories and investigated…

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Overdose experiences among a sample of women in jail with OUD

Previous non-fatal overdose may increase risk of overdose fatality for women reentering the community following incarceration, but pre-incarceration overdose experiences are understudied. This study describes the prevalence and correlates of non-fatal overdose prior to jail among women with opioid use disorder (OUD).

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Scales for Participant Alliance with Recovery Coach (SPARC): Initial Development and Pilot Test

The purpose of this study was to describe the initial development of the Scales for Participant Alliance with Recovery Coach (SPARC) to measure recovery coach connection or alliance, including initial psychometric analyses. Measurement development began with five scales of the Client Evaluation of Self Treatment (treatment participation, treatment satisfaction, rapport, peer support, and social support).…

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Identifying and treating incarcerated women experiencing SUDs: A review

While research on substance use disorder (SUD) treatment among justice-involved populations has grown in recent years, the majority of corrections-based SUD studies have predominantly included incarcerated men or men on community supervision. This review 1) highlights special considerations for incarcerated women that may serve as facilitating factors or barriers to SUD treatment; 2) describes selected…

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Network canvas: an open-source tool for capturing social and contact network data

Social influence and contact networks are extremely important for understanding health behaviour and the spread of disease. Yet, most traditional software tools are not optimized to capture these data, making measurement of personal networks challenging. This paper describes Network Canvas, open source and freely available software designed to provide an end-to-end workflow with intuitive interfaces…

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Screening Incarcerated Women for Opioid Use Disorder

The overall aim of the present study is to examine the utility of the DSM OUD Checklist and the NM-ASSIST screening tools to identify symptoms consistent with OUD among incarcerated women in county jails. Study findings indicate a positive correlation between indicators of OUD using the two screening tools, as well as a high degree…

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Providing peer navigation services to women with a history of opioid misuse pre- and post-release from jail: A program description

Justice system-involved women with opioid use disorder (OUD) experience layered health risks and stigma, yet peer navigation services during reentry may support positive outcomes. This manuscript offers a program description of a women’s peer navigation intervention delivered pre- and post-release from jail to remove barriers to women’s access to OUD treatment, including medications for opioid…

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Kentucky Women’s Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network (JCOIN): A type 1 effectiveness-implementation hybrid trial to increase utilization of medications for opioid use disorder among justice-involved women

This trial will examine the implementation of an innovative pretreatment model for medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) using telehealth and/or peer navigators for women transitioning from jail to the community in Kentucky. This project aims to reduce opioid relapse and overdose among high-risk women during community reentry through increasing initiation and maintenance of MOUD.

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