Dr. Megan O’Grady (PI), Assistant Professor in Public Health Sciences and Courtney Sheehan (Co-PI), LPC, Senior Program Director, at Community Health Resources (CHR), a community-based behavioral health provider in Connecticut, have been newly awarded a one-year grant from the University of Connecticut Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy (InCHIP) titled “Identifying Barriers and Facilitators to Implementation of Long-Acting Injectable Medications for Opioid Use Disorder in Community-Based Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs)” for $10,000. Co-investigators at UConn include Dr. Morica Hutchison (Public Health Sciences) and Dr. Nate Rickles (School of Pharmacy) as well as Dr. Robin Deutsch at CHR.

Goal(s) and Objectives of the project:  This grant will investigate implementation barriers and facilitators for using long-acting injectable medications (e.g., buprenorphine) to treat opioid use disorder in certified community behavioral health clinics CCBHCs. We will analyze electronic health records from Connecticut-based CCBHC clinics to examine use of long-acting injectable medications for opioid use disorder. We will also conduct interviews with staff/providers and patients to understand barriers and facilitators to using these medications.

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