Boston University Center for Addictions Research and Services

Completed Projects

Lena M. Lundgren, Ph.D.

"Drug Treatment Paths And HIV Outcomes Of Injection Drug Users"
2001-2004
This three year study funded by the Substance and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) determined which types of substance abuse treatment services lead to the best outcomes for IDUs. This study includes both males and female IDUs and focuses on two ethnic/racial groups, African Americans and Latino/as. Two annual interviews were conducted with 200 African American and 200 Latino/a IDUs. These interviews focused on changes in clients' drug use, HIV risk behaviors, employment and housing, and perceived barriers to treatment. Furthermore, information was elicited from female IDUs who have children in order to identify treatment patterns and barriers specific to mothers.

"Research On HIV Service And Substance Abuse Treatment Needs Of African-American And White Injection Drug Users"
2000-2004
This five year project funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation tracked changes in substance use and HIV-risk behaviors through in-person interviews with 300 male IDUs recruited at needle exchange programs over a period of three years. 150 White IDUs in Western Massachusetts and 150 African-American IDUs in Cambridge participate in 2 annual interviews. The major research question addressed in this study was to determine what substance abuse treatment paths are associated with reduced substance use and reduced HIV risk behaviors among IDUs over a period of three years.

"Service Gaps, HIV, And Substance Abuse Treatment Needs Of African-American And White Injection Drug Users: A Longitudinal Study"
2000-2003
The primary focus of this four year longitudinal study funded by the Substance and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA), Centers for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) was to identify adult injection drug users' substance abuse treatment and other service needs, including job training and parental supports services. The study primarily analyses data on 45,000 heroin users in the State of Massachusetts who either entered substance abuse treatment or a needle exchange program between 1996-2001. The study also included qualitative interviews with forty injection drug users exploring their perceived barriers to using services such as substance abuse treatment or job training.

"Outcome Evaluation To Assess The Effectiveness Of Project Safeplace: An Effort To Reduce HIV/AIDS Rates Among Hard-Core Drug Users"
1996-1999
Project SafePlace, under the direction of the Boston Public Health Commission, is designed to provide community outreach to IDUs, link them with a comprehensive resource and drop-in center, the Addicts Outreach and Resource Center (AORC), and provide links to substance abuse treatment. This outcome evaluation assessed whether project SafePlace facilitated access to substance abuse treatment and reached the goals of increasing entry and length of stay in treatment. In summary, the evaluation effort identified that (1) SafePlace clients over all had a high level of knowledge about HIV and AIDS and about the possible consequences of engaging in high risk activities such as sharing needles and not using condoms when engaging in sexual activity; (2) this knowledge level increased after participation in the program, and (3) there was a positive association between high utilization of pretreatment services provided by the drop-in center and entry into detoxification for the main population utilizing SafePlace, African-American IDUs. Hence, the more often pre-treatment services were utilized, the greater the likelihood of multiple treatment entries.

"Dual-Earner Families And Reduced-Hours Career Paths In The Medical Profession"
1996-2000
This three-year study funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation explored the consequences of working a reduced hour schedule in medicine from the perspectives of the reduced-hour physicians, their spouses, and the managed health care organization. Results indicated that reduced-hours physicians show higher levels of satisfaction compared to peers in academic medicine; yet, a reduced-hours career track is perceived to close certain career advancement options and reduced-hours physicians experience stigma about their career choice. Reduced-hours career tracks in medicine are seen by both male and female full time physicians as choices primarily available to women physicians. Further, they are understood and often assumed to be career paths undertaken in order to spend more time with children. Specifically, a large number of physicians do not have a full-time clinical practice. There are instead a wide variety of practice models. For example, some work reduced-hours in two practices, some work reduced hours and also do research, some work reduced-hours clinical practice and have an administrative position. Yet, most full time and reduced-hours physicians seem to believe that reduced clinical schedules will result in limited career options, and that even within primary clinical practice the progression up the career ladder is slowed. Hence, there is a difference between working fewer clinical hours for work-family or other personal reasons, and clinical hours reduced in order to take on other kinds of medical work.

"Reduced-Hours Work in Medicine: The Full-time Physicians Perspective"
1999-2001
This one-year qualitative research effort examined full-time physicians' perspectives on reduced-hours careers in medicine. Comparative analysis show that in many ways work characteristics identified as problematic are the same for both full time and reduced-hours physicians. These include workload issues, particularly related to managed care (i.e., more patients in less time, more paperwork, more negotiation with insurance providers on behalf of patients); the fact that they all described a lack of administrative support, and all need more of it; and, that both groups of physicians stated that full-time medical practice seems inevitably to produce high levels of stress and pressure with regard to family time.

Maryann Amodeo, M.S.W., Ph.D.

“Clinical Addiction Research And Education (CARE): Chief Resident Immersion Training Program”
2002-2005
Funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and sponsored by the Section of General Internal Medicine, Boston Medical Center. The purpose of this project is to train physicians in evidence- based practices including brief intervention methods, and to evaluate effectiveness of this training method. Annually, cohorts of 25 Chief Residents are recruited from around the country for a four-day intensive substance abuse training program. Chief Residents come from Internal Medicine, Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine. They commit themselves to teach substance abuse to residents in their hospital and medical settings and implement action plans for continued institutional commitment to this issue. Knowledge and behavioral outcomes of Chief Residents who complete the program are compared with outcomes from Chief Residents who applied but were not accepted for the program. Dr. Amodeo served as a faculty member and advisor for this training and evaluation project. (PI: Jeffrey H. Samet, MD, MPH, BUMed).

“Evaluation Of National Child Welfare Training Initiative: Youth Transitioning From Care”
2003-2006
Funded by the Children’s Bureau, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the purpose of this project was to evaluate the nature, role, and impact of a cluster of Child Welfare training grants provided to nine institutions across the country. These grants trained Child Welfare workers, supervisors, community providers, and others working with youth who are transitioning from foster care. Products of this Evaluation Project, still in production, include a Case-Study Report of the experiences of the nine sites, a comprehensive literature review on the State of Child Welfare Training, a survey of state training directors on the national role of Child Welfare training and federal training funds, and a survey of schools of social work on a similar topic. Dr. Amodeo, Co-PI of the project, assisted with all aspects of the project. (PI: Mary E. Collins, Ph.D., BUSSW).

“Training In Youth Development For Public Child Welfare”
2000-2003
This purpose of this grant from the Children’s Bureau, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, was to design a curriculum and implement statewide training for child welfare workers focused on youth development principles. A team of faculty from the Boston University School of Social Work, in collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Social Services (DSS), designed and delivered a curriculum emphasizing a Positive Youth Development approach to working with youth who are transitioning out of foster care. Training included group skills, substance abuse skills and cultural competency skills. Training was delivered to DSS youth workers and workers in youth residential programs across the state. The project also provided tuition stipends for students specializing in the child welfare field. Dr. Amodeo was the Co-PI and served as a curriculum designer and trainer. (PI: Mary E. Collins, Ph.D., BUSSW).

“Interdisciplinary Faculty Training Program In Substance Abuse For Health Care Professionals: Project MAINSTREAM”
1999-2002
Funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and directed by the Association for Medical Education and Research in Substance Abuse (AMERSA), the purpose of this national initiative was to recruit and train interdisciplinary teams of faculty from across the country, equipping them with substance abuse skills to train students in a range of health professions. Health professional faculty in the project came from Social Work, Nursing, Psychology, Medicine, Public Health, Pharmacology and Allied Health Professions, among others. A published curriculum and mentoring was provided.
Outcomes included degree of substance abuse curriculum integration at the home institution, number of students taught by these faculty teams and equipped with substance abuse skills, and faculty publications, research, grant funding and professional presentations on substance abuse. Dr. Amodeo served on the Executive Fellowship Committee, advising on curriculum content, recruitment and selection of participants, evaluation measures and methods, and serving as a liaison with federal funding agencies. (PI: Richard Brown, M.D., University of Wisconsin, Madison).

“Minority Institutions Drug Abuse Research Program”
1999-2003
Funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, this multi-year project provided research training on drug abuse to social work researchers interested in studying ethnic and racial minority populations. Participants were faculty from a variety of universities and colleges from around the country. Instructors were leaders in substance abuse research with expertise in epidemiology, longitudinal research, analysis of national data bases, health services research, culturally-responsive research methods, prevention, intervention and state-of-the-art methodologies in social work research. Approaches to partnering with communities of color to conduct research was a pervasive theme. Goals were to equip faculty to design studies that would move the field forward in developing effective interventions for underserved populations. Participants presented research proposals to senior faculty and fellow participants who provided guidance on refining the design, operationalizing the concepts, and implementing the study.