RECOVERY RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP
2022-2023 IRIS Fellows
A 10-month learning community that built research skills towards greater peer workforce integration into the opioid recovery support system. Fellows represented diverse recovery roles: peers, peer supervisors, clinicians, trainers, advocates, other agency staff, graduate students, and staff researchers.
Fellows met once a month at the University of Maryland, Baltimore between September 2022 - June 2023 to achieve these outcomes:
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Develop a network with which to collaborate, including through participatory research
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Use research to uplift benefits of peer services towards greater workforce integration
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Gain deeper understanding of research processes and practices
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Use agency data to enhance program management, evaluation, and fundraising
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Apply research to improve not just peer services, but all recovery supports
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Develop and share findings from research towards community education and advocacy
Learn more about the IRIS Fellowship by downloading the "Program Summary" and "Fellowship Monthly Topics."
Position Paper
​This paper was a collaborative effort between IRIS staff and Fellows, based on a literature review, Fellows' inputs, and interviews with key stakeholders. The paper defines what is effective peer workforce integration (PWI), and identifies barriers to and facilitators for effective PWI.
Download Position Paper Materials
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Learn From Fellows' Research
Examining the Role of Peer Recovery Support Specialists in Supporting Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD)
Jennifer Carrano, Research Scientist, Maryland Treatment Centers/Mountain Manor Treatment Center
​A Review of Literature on the Benefits of Peer Support Specialists in Treatment Settings Serving Women with Substance Use Disorder
Carressa Christian, Evolve Life Centers, Behavioral Health Consultant
An Examination of Potential Knowledge Gaps in Emergency Department Providers Regarding SBIRT, Stigma, and Emergent Drugs
Paul Cooper, Certified Peer Recovery Specialist, MedStar SBIRT Unit
Treatment Refinements for Young Adults with Opioid Use Disorder: A Focus on Mental Health
Morgan Dease, Research Assistant, Maryland Treatment Centers/Mountain Manor Treatment Center
​Bridging the Gap: A Creative Initiative to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities in Addiction Through Multilingual Health Literacy Engagement
Susan Eldridge, Marketing & Community Engagement Coordinator, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Office of the Clinical Director, Intramural Research Program
Requirements for Peers to Become Certified in States Across the Country – Where Does Maryland Stand?
Jessica Golembrosky, Training Coordinator, Voices of Hope
Take the Hand That’s Reaching Out: Examining the Relationship Between Referral Source And Treatment Admission Within Peer-Delivered Mobile Crisis Services
Robert Hamm, Certified Peer Recovery Specialist, Harford Crisis Office of Mental Health
The Effect of a Survivor-Led Training about Intimate Partner Violence on Addictions Counselors in an Opioid Treatment Setting
Emily Heinlein, Clinical Research Assistant, University of Maryland School of Medicine
Examining Perspectives of Clients Receiving and Staff Delivering Harm Reduction Services at a Community-Based Behavioral Health Care Organization
Timothy Ibutu, Program Manager, Substance Use/Co-Occuring Disorders, People Encouraging People
Assessing the Ability of Peers Working at Recovery Re-entry Homes to Administer a Validated Measure for Activities of Daily Living
Xavier Justice, Trainer, Jordan Peer Recovery
Tying the Knot: The Importance of Co-occurring Disorder Training Integration for Peers
Margaret Kaiser, Prevention Associate, Office of Drug Control Policy, Department of Community Services, Harford County
Peer Recovery Coaches in Healthcare: A Mixed Methods Study Assessing Financial Value, Perceptions, and Barriers for This Unique Role
Heather Raley, Behavioral Health Consultant, Mosaic Group
Utilization of Peer-Delivered Harm Reduction Services Within a Rural County
Megan Sarikaya, Recovery Support & Harm Reduction Supervisor, Calvert County Health Department
The Equitable Inclusion of Peer Research Assistants with Lived Experience in Substance Use: A Review of Existing Literature & Analysis of the Institutional Context of Peer Research Assistant Employment
Bradley Silberzahn, PhD Candidate, University of Texas, Austin
Assessing the Need and Desirability of a Syringe Exchange Program: A Mixed Methods Study
Damain Teat, Peer Recovery Advocate, Paul's Place
Examining Experiences of Clients with Co-Occurring Disorders Within a Treatment Center Utilizing an Integrated Service Model
Charmaine Thomas, Addictions Counselor, TIME Organization
The Kids Aren’t Alright: Increasing Engagement in Adolescent Clubhouses through Peer Supported Substance Use Prevention and Intervention
Marcus Webster, Children & Youth Program Manager, Ashley Addiction Treatment