New Study from TxCOPE funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse

NEW STUDY: Developing an Intervention to Support the Well-Being of Harm Reduction Workers

The TxCOPE team was recently funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse to adapt and test Stress First Aid to the needs of Harm Reduction Workers in substance misuse settings. The idea for this study came directly from our community-based partners through our TxCOPE community engaged research. Harm Reduction Workers play a critical role in the substance misuse continuum of care but they are exposed to high rates of lifetime and occupational stress and trauma which is linked to adverse impacts on patient care, unmet mental health needs, turnover, burnout, and relapse. This research will adapt, field test, and conduct a hybrid-type I efficacy trial comparing the effects of Stress First Aid for HRWs versus a no-treatment control condition on social-support, burnout, secondary traumatic stress, use of mental health care, engagement, and turnover. Our goal is that this intervention will one day be implemented across the TxCOPE network to support HRW health in Texas and beyond.

There will be many chances to participate in the study as it gets going and over the next 6 years. If you are a member of our TxCOPE community advisory board (CAB) please expect an email in the new year asking you to join in some focus groups to kick the project off and learn how the Stress First Aid intervention and proposed research should be adapted to the needs of harm reduction workers. Please feel free to reach out to suzannah.creech@austin.utexas.edu for more info.