News from the Node

Since 2011, October has been a time to highlight the vital role of substance use prevention in both individual and community health, to remember those who have lost their lives to substance use, to acknowledge those in recovery, as well as children, parents, family, and friends supporting them.

A description of this year’s proclamation can be found at the White House website.

There are resources available at the National Institute on Drug Abuse website, including Lessons from Prevention Research and some Easy-to-Read Drug Facts, and The National Child Traumatic Stress Network has compiled a list of resources for parents and caregivers of children affected by parental substance use.

Two recently published articles use large health datasets to examine the intersection of the COVID-19 pandemic and mental and substance use disorders.

Wang Q,  Xu R, Volkow ND (2020).  Increased risk of COVID-19 infection and mortality in people with mental disorders: analysis from electronic health records in the United States. World Psychiatry (Impact factor: 40.59).First published: 07 October 2020. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.2080

Wang Q, Kaelber D, Xu R, Volkow ND (2020). COVID-19 Risk and Outcomes in patients with substance use disorders: Analyses from electronic health records in the United States. Molecular Psychiatry (2020) DOI https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-020-00880-7.

The Northeast Node is now hiring a Research Assistant for a new study investigating a prevention strategy for opioid use disorder in primary care settings. This position is based at two primary care practices in Manchester and Bedford, New Hampshire. Once COVID-19 restrictions in the State of NH are lifted, this position will be based directly in these two clinics.

The right candidate is someone who is passionate about health services and helping people with opioid use disorder. Prior research experience is a bonus but we are willing to train the right person.

For more information about this posting, or to apply, please visit https://searchjobs.dartmouth.edu/postings/54706

Dartmouth College is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer with a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion. We prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran status, marital status, or any other legally protected status. Applications by members of all underrepresented groups are encouraged.

The COVID-19 pandemic presents unique challenges for people with substance use disorders (SUDs) and people in recovery. To address the urgency of this rapidly evolving situation, The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has compiled a list of COVID-19 resource pages from federal agencies.

Visit NIDA’s website for more information.

Full Article

Bonny Whalen, MD, Steve Chapman, MD, Alison Holmes, MD, MPH, Julia Frew, MD (MED ’05), and Daisy Goodman, DNP, MPH (TDI ’14), received the Academic Pediatric Association’s (APA) Health Care Delivery award for their work with mothers and newborns with opioid dependence. The Center for Addiction Recovery in Pregnancy and Parenting (CARRP) is a multidisciplinary network of experienced clinicians and researchers working together to support recovery from addiction for women who are pregnant and parenting, and to promote healthy growth and development in their children.

For more information

There are openings for a Project Manager, Research Assistant, and Research Coordinator at the Northeast Node of the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN).

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The NIDA T-32 Science of Co-Occurring Disorders Postdoctoral Training Program, led by Northeast Node faculty affiliate Alan Budney, PhD at Dartmouth College, is welcoming post-doctoral fellow applicants. This is a unique transdisciplinary/translational research program focused on co-occurring substance use and other mental or physical disorders offered through the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. During the typical 2-3 year-long appointments, postdoctoral fellows will be provided with research opportunities in intervention research under the mentorship of faculty that are experts in their fields and leading diverse projects funded by NIH and other federal institutes. To be eligible, applicants must have completed their training in psychology, or a related discipline and be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Trainees are selected on the basis of scholastic record and commitment to a career in research related to addiction and mental health. Benefits include a stipend, medical insurance coverage, and travel funds supported by NIH Institutional Training Awards. To apply, applicants should forward their curriculum vitae, statement of research interests, and 3 letters of reference to Brian Goodness. Contact Dr. Budney, or Dr. Stanger for more information.

The Northeast Node is pleased to announce CTN-0103, entitled “Expanding Clinical Research Training on Implementing the Evidence-based Hub and Spoke Model of Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder”. The Vermont Hub and Spoke Model (VT HSM) of substance use disorder care allows providers to initiate medication treatment for persons with opioid use disorder with assistance from local opioid treatment programs (Hubs) and then support ongoing care of patients through office-based treatment (Spokes) (with flexible movement back into Hubs for patients in need of additional stabilization). The Node will collaborate with its partner, the New Hampshire (NH) Citizens Health Initiative, that helps lead the Northern New England (NNE) Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) Network across ME, NH, and VT. The NNE ECHO is an expansive collaborative designed to implement a regional network of telehealth services for sharing of knowledge from multidisciplinary expert mentors and teams across a virtual network using the Project ECHO model. This model uses web-supported case-based learning to provide direct education and support to clinicians and communities addressing the opioid epidemic to improve access, care delivery, outcomes and health.

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There is an opening for a Research Assistant position for the Northeast Node of the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN). We are looking for someone to provide support and assistance to the Principal Investigator, Director of Operations, and Research Project Managers on projects aimed at developing, evaluating, and disseminating new prevention and treatment options for substance use disorders in community-based medical settings in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. In addition to helping with study procedures, this position will aid in the dissemination/communications of Northeast Node activities to a broad array of stakeholders; work collaboratively with local partners, other CTN nodes across the US, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA); assist with social media and website management; and utilize knowledge of the Node partners’ research interests to assist with leveraging CTN-funded studies to the rural areas represented by the Northeast Node.

More details on this position and how to apply here: https://searchjobs.dartmouth.edu/postings/49952