Aced It

Peer Work as Precarious

This episode explores the realities of precarious work, particularly in peer-engagement roles within harm reduction. These positions can be informal, unstable, and not well compensated, and often impact people with lived substance-use experiences. We examine research that highlights issues surrounding precarious work, such as erratic work schedules and the lack of protection of peer workers’ rights. Listen to this episode to learn more about no-nonsense solutions, like better pay and formal employment standards to improve stability for peer workers.  
Download the one-pager (PDF).
This project was supported by Grant [5PBJA-22-AG-00031-MUMU] awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. Points of view or opinions in this podcast are those of the host and the research team and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Rethinking Harm Reduction in Hospitals

Why are patients with substance use disorders leaving hospitals against their doctor’s advice? In this episode, we discuss qualitative research that uncovers challenges faced by people with substance use disorders when they enter the hospital setting seeking care. We will also explore eye-opening studies that not only highlight these issues but offer innovative solutions to improve hospital-based substance use treatment. 
Download the one-pager (PDF).
This project was supported by Grant [5PBJA-22-AG-00031-MUMU] awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. Points of view or opinions in this podcast are those of the host and the research team and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

MMT Take - Home Policies and Patients

In this episode, we dive into the complexities of methadone maintenance treatment (MMT), an intervention that has proven effective in reducing risks of overdose, legal system involvement, and drug-use-related illnesses. Although MMT has shown benefits for people who use drugs, it delivers low uptake and retention rates. Listen to this episode to learn more about recent illuminating research and recommendations for making MMT more patient friendly, improving transparency, and aligning it with other treatments. 
Download the one-pager (PDF).
This project was supported by Grant [5PBJA-22-AG-00031-MUMU] awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. Points of view or opinions in this podcast are those of the host and the research team and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Legal System Involvement: A Barrier to Harm Reduction

In this episode, we examine many barriers to harm reduction faced by people who have been involved with the criminal legal system. These barriers are engrained in a system that fails individuals with substance use disorders at nearly every corner, from limited staff knowledge about harm reduction to the lack of connection between institutional and community-based treatment. Listen to this episode to learn about what researchers have uncovered about system involvement and harm reduction.
Download the one-pager (PDF).
This project was supported by Grant [5PBJA-22-AG-00031-MUMU] awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. Points of view or opinions in this podcast are those of the host and the research team and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Overdose, Harm Reduction, and Sex Workers

Sex workers experience higher drug use rates and greater risks of STIs as well as poor mental health. Yet there is little data on their specific overdose risks. In this episode, we review emerging and critically important research that analyzes the impact of police-related barriers to harm reduction for sex workers. We also highlight how sex-worker friendly harm-reduction efforts break down structural barriers to harm reduction faced by people who use drugs.
Download the one-pager (PDF).
This project was supported by Grant [5PBJA-22-AG-00031-MUMU] awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. Points of view or opinions in this podcast are those of the host and the research team and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Stigma and Harm Reduction

Understanding the barriers to harm reduction is a critical step toward addressing head on the high rate of substance use disorders. In this episode, we examine one substantial barrier to the goals of harm reduction—stigma. Stigma exists at many social levels, from the individual to the population. Listen to this episode to learn what the most recent research tells us about stigma, and how we can address it to improve harm reduction efforts.
Download the one-pager (PDF)
This project was supported by Grant [5PBJA-22-AG-00031-MUMU] awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. Points of view or opinions in this podcast are those of the host and the research team and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Impact of Urine Drug Screening on Retention in Treatment

This episode focuses on how clinics handle urine drug screening in their effort to tackle treatment for opioid use disorder. The episode highlights a study that examines how urine drug screening (UDS) practices in methadone clinics might be impacting patient retention rates. There is an emphasis on the fact that UDS happens to people, no more, no less, and substance abuse disorder is, at the very heart of it, a disease that needs to be treated.
Download the one-pager (PDF).
Michener, P. S., Knee, A., Wilson, D., Boama-Nyarko, E., & Friedmann, P. D. (2024).Association of random and observed urine drug screening with long-term retention in opioid treatment programs. Drug and Alcohol Dependence,255, 111067.
This project was supported by Grant [5PBJA-22-AG-00031-MUMU] awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. Points of view or opinions in this podcast are those of the host and the research team and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

MOUD Programs in Rural Jails

This episode examines work from a recent study that evaluates the implementation and outcomes of MOUD programs in two rural jails in Massachusetts. The study found there is a lack of MOUD supply to and in rural jails.
Download the one-pager (PDF),
Bailey, A., Senthilkumar, R., & Evans, E. A. (2023). Correlates and patterns in use of medications to treat opioid use disorder in jail. Journal ofAddictionMedicine,17(5),568–573.
This project was supported by Grant [5PBJA-22-AG-00031-MUMU] awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. Points of view or opinions in this podcast are those of the host and the research team and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

MOUD and Problem-Solving Courts

This episode focuses on unraveling the complexities of state laws that affect the use of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in problem-solving courts, the implications of those laws, and the need for more consistent legislation. The researchers argue for the development of model state legislation to standardize MOUD policies across the nation.
Download the one-pager (PDF).
Andraka-Christou, B., Randall-Kosich, O., Golan, M., Totaram, R., Saloner, B., Gordon, A. J., & Stein, B. D. (2022). A national survey of state laws regarding medications for opioid use disorder in problem-solving courts. Health & Justice, 10(1), 14..
This project was supported by Grant [5PBJA-22-AG-00031-MUMU] awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. Points of view or opinions in this podcast are those of the host and the research team and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Falling Overdose Rates (Bonus Episode!)

In this very exciting bonus episode, we talk you through the recent headlines about declining U.S. overdose rates by detailing the seven major hypothesis people use to explain the rate drop. While the evidence supporting each of these hypotheses varies, it’s important to know what the current thinking is and why there is both cause to celebrate and to keep focusing on finding ways to continue the downward trend…until there are none.
Download the one-pager (PDF).
Balawajder, E. F., Ducharme, L., Taylor, B. G., Lamuda, P. A., Kolak, M., Friedmann, P. D., ... & Schneider, J. A. (2024). Factors associated with the availability of medications for opioid use disorder in US jails. JAMA Network Open,7(9), e2434704-e2434704. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.34704Binswanger, I. A., Stern, M. F., Deyo, R. A., Heagerty, P. J., Cheadle, A., Elmore, J. G., & Koepsell, T. D. (2007). Release from prison—a high risk of death for former inmates. New England Journal of Medicine,356(2), 157-165. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmsa064115Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, May 15). U.S. overdose deaths decrease in 2023, first time since 2018. National Center for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/nchs_press_releases/2024/20240515.htmDasgupta, N. (2024, Sept 18). Are overdoses down and why? Opioid Data Lab. https://opioiddatalab.ghost.io/are-overdoses-down-and-why/Drug Enforcement Agency. (2022, October). The growing threat of xylazine and its mixture with illicit drugs. Drug Enforcement Agency. https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2022-12/The%20Growing%20Threat%20of%20Xylazine%20and%20its%20Mixture%20with%20Illicit%20Drugs.pdfDyer, O. (2024). Opioid crisis: Fall in US overdose deaths leaves experts scrambling for an explanation. The British Medical Journal. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.q2091Ghose, R., Forati, A. M., & Mantsch, J. R. (2022). Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on opioid overdose deaths: a spatiotemporal analysis.Journal of Urban Health,99(2), 316-327. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-022-00610-0Klemperer, E. M., Wreschnig, L., Crocker, A., King-Mohr, J., Ramniceanu, A., Brooklyn, J. R., ... & Evans, E. A. (2023). The impact of the implementation of medication for opioid use disorder and COVID-19 in a statewide correctional system on treatment engagement, post release continuation of care, and overdose. Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment,152, 209103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.josat.2023.209103Massachusetts Department of Public Health. (2024, June 6). Massachusetts opioid-related overdose deaths decreased 10 percent in 2023. Massachusetts Department of Public Health. https://www.mass.gov/news/dph-report-massachusetts-opioid-related-overdose-deaths-decreased-10-percent-in-2023Moghtaderi, A., Zocchi, M. S., Pines, J. M., Venkat, A., & Black, B. (2023). Estimating the uncertain effect of the COVID pandemic on drug overdoses. PloS one,18(8), e0281227. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0281227National Public Radio (NPR). (2024, Sept 18). U.S. overdose deaths plumet, saving thousands of lives. National Public Radio. https://www.npr.org/2024/09/18/nx-s1-5107417/overdose-fatal-fentanyl-death-opioidNBC News. (2024, March 11). Where’s the Narcan? At pharmacies across the U.S., the OTC antidote can be hard to find. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/narcan-opioid-overdose-drug-otc-access-varies-us-stores-rcna135324?ref=opioiddatalab.ghost.ioNew York Times (NYT). (2024, September 2024). Drug overdose deaths are dropping: The reasons are not perfectly clear. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/21/us/politics/drug-overdose-deaths-decrease.htmlSugarman, O. K., Hulsey, E. G., & Heller, D. (2023, October). Achieving the Potential of Naloxone Saturation by Measuring Distribution. In JAMA Health Forum (Vol. 4, No. 10, pp. e233338-e233338). American Medical Association. doi:10.1001/jamahealthforum.2023.3338The White House (2024, June). Fentanyl adulterated or associated with xylazine implementation report. Office of Drug Control Policy. https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ONDCP-2024-FAAX-Implementation-Report.pdf?ref=opioiddatalab.ghost.ioUniversity of Michigan School of Public Health. (2024, April 30). It’s easier now to treat opioid addiction with medication – but little has changed. University of Michigan School of Public Health. https://shorturl.at/BPJN8.
This project was supported by Grant [5PBJA-22-AG-00031-MUMU] awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. Points of view or opinions in this podcast are those of the host and the research team and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.