Advancing the Science on Recovery Community Centers
Mission
Through this project (R24DA051988; M-PI: John Kelly and Bettina Hoeppner), we are building a research infrastructure that enhances the study of recovery community centers with a focus on their utility for persons who were or who are being maintained on medications for the treatment of opioid use disorder.
Evidence indicates that OUD (opioid use disorder) is a chronic condition best managed with long-term use of medications. While medications for OUD (MOUD) save lives and reduces related harms, individuals suffering from OUD tend to be in need of additional services. Thus, even among those with OUD who are able to access life-saving medications, there is a need for additional recovery support services to enhance functioning and quality of life.
Among professional and non-professional services for substance use disorder, recovery community centers are the “new kids on the block”. They are often located in the heart of their respective communities and provide a variety of services including recovery coaching, relapse prevention skills-building, employment and job training linkages, recreational activities, civic participation, and a host of other services designed to help people in, or seeking, recovery from substance use disorder.
To advance the development of efficacy and/or effectiveness research on RCCs for persons who were or who are being maintained on medications for the treatment of OUD (P-MOUD), we are orchestrating activities on a national level to engage multiple stakeholders.
GOALS:
- Engage RCC stakeholders in research-advancing activities.
- Disseminate tools and products that support the building of a cumulative RCC P-MOUD science.
On the menu to the right, you can find links to the various activities we are organizing for this project. Please use the menu to navigate to the pages that interest you.
MEET THE RCCS:
In case you’re not familiar with what an RCC is, or want to learn more about RCCs, please check out the following videos. They will give you an idea of what happens when you walk through the door of an RCC.
Lost Dreams Awakening
4D Recovery
Northampton Recovery Center
The attached slides are a brief introduction to the project:
Seminar Series
We are collaborating with stakeholders on a seminar series about topics related to recovery community centers and the use of medication to treat opioid use disorder. and the distribution of tools, products, and research materials that will support the building of a cumulative RCC science.
Please see the list below for an overview of the seminars. Click on the title of the seminar to open a PDF document containing more information about the seminar.
PAST SEMINARS:
Seminar 1
- Title: Rationale and Role of Recovery Community Centers: A Bio-Psycho-Social Perspective
- Presenter: John Kelly, PhD of the Recovery Research Institute
- Date: Friday, November 20, 12:00 EST
- Recordings: Part 1 and Part 2
- Slides
Seminar 2
- Title: The Origins of Recovery Community Centers: Context and History
- Presenter: Tom Hill, MSW of the National Council for Behavioral Health
- Date: Friday, December 18, 12:00 EST
- Recording
- Slides
- Additional Materials:
Seminar 3
- Title: RCCs and Accreditation: A National Perspective
- Presenter: Ms. Patty McCarthy of Faces and Voices of Recovery
- Date: Friday, January 15, 12:00 EST
- Recording
- Slides
- Additional Materials:
Seminar 4
- Title: The Active Ingredients of Recovery Community Centers
- Presenter: Mr. Phil Valentine and his team (Rebecca Allen, Brian Robbins) of CCAR (Connecticut Community of Addiction Recovery)
- Date: Friday, February 19, 12:00 EST
- Recording
- Slides
- Additional Materials:
Seminar 5
- Title: Bridging the Divide Between Healthcare Systems and RCCs: A Moderated Panel Discussion
- Presenter: Dr. Sarah Wakeman and a team of panelists (Dr. Gene Lambert, Christopher Shaw, Dr. Davida Schiff, Dr. Marti Kane, and Windia Rodriguez) of Massachusetts General Hospital
- Date: Friday, March 19, 12:00 EST
- Recording
- Slides
Seminar 6
- Title: Measuring recovery in RCCs: Can the SURE tool help?
- Presenter: Dr. Joanne Neale of King’s College London (Guest appearance by Ms. Hannah Carlon of the University of New Mexico)
- RCC Live Feature: Foundation for Recovery
- Date: Friday, April 16, 12:00 EST
- Recording
- Slides:
- Additional Materials:
Seminar 7
- Title: One Stop Shopping for Recovery: Preliminary Results from the first Systematic Study of New England Recovery Community Centers
- Presenter: Dr. John F. Kelly of Massachusetts General Hospital
- RCC Live Feature: OCARTA
- Date: Friday, May 14, 12:00 EST
- Recording
- Slides:
- Additional Materials:
Seminar 8
- Title: RCCs in Context: The Importance and Challenges of RCC Community Engagement
- Presenters: Amy A. Mericle, Research Scientist in the Alcohol Research Group at the Public Health Institute; Chad Sabora, Executive Director of MoNetwork; Marc Johnigan, Executive Director of Twin Cities Recovery Project (TCRP)
- RCC Live Feature: 4D Recovery
- Date: Friday, June 11, 12:00 EST
- Recording
- Slides
Seminar 9
- Title: RCCs in Context: The Importance of Engaging the Recovery Community
- Presenters: Joseph Hogan Sanchez, Director of Programs, and Phillip Rutherford, Chief Operating Officer, Faces and Voices of Recovery
- Date: Friday, July 16th, 12:00 PM ET
- Recording
- Slides
UPCOMING SEMINARS:
Seminar 10
- Title: Addressing Racism and Harm Reduction Through RCCs: Findings and Experiences
- Presenters: Dr. Monica Skewes and two RCC directors (TBD)
- Date: Friday, October 1st, 12:00 PM ET
- Register here!
Seminar 11
- Title: How do Medications for Opioid Use Disorder ‘Fit’ Into the Mission of RCCs?
- Presenters: A clinician-scientist and three RCC directors (TBD)
- Date: Friday, November 5th, 12:00 PM ET
- Register here!
PDF documents containing more information about each seminar:
Seminar 1 Details and Materials
Seminar 2 Details and Materials
Seminar 3 Details and Materials
Seminar 4 Details and Materials
Seminar 5 Details and Materials
Seminar 6 Details and Materials
Seminar 7 Details and Materials
Funding for Pilot Studies
This pilot study mechanism is funded by an R24 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (R24DA051988).
The goal of this pilot study mechanism is to stimulate and support new research on delivering recovery support to persons seeking or in recovery from a substance use disorder via recovery community centers and research that advances the science to that end.
THE AWARD:
- Up to $30,000 per award
- Approximately 3 awarded per year
- Covers direct costs of the study (e.g., data collection activities, equipment, research assistant support)
ELEGIBILITY:
- Your proposed project must address the role of recovery community centers in supporting persons who were or who are in or seeking recovery from a substance use disorder or advance the science to this end (including but not limited to: perceptions around MOUDs, linkages from clinical sites to RCCs, etc.). Studies focusing on persons who are or have been maintained on medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) are particularly encouraged.
- You may be a faculty member, research scientist, post-doctoral research scholar or graduate student from any academic or health care institution in the United States. Black, indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC) are especially encouraged to apply.
- You must document how you will share your findings (e.g., conference presentations, clinicaltrials.gov registration, published papers, etc.) and allow the findings from your pilot work to be shared by the funding agency through the Recovery Research Institute website at recoveryanswers.org
PROCESS:
Letter of Intent:
- First, please submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) that includes the following information:
- Title
- Name of investigator, email, phone, position title, department/division, and school/institution
- Abstract (350 words max)
- Brief timeline summary (150 words max)
- Brief budget summary (150 words max)
- Explanation of how the proposal addresses the role of recovery community centers in supporting persons who were or who are in or seeking recovery from a substance use disorder or advance the science to this end (200 words max)
- Please download the LOI template found on the bottom of this page.
- LOIs will be undergoing a competitive peer review process to determine if a full application can be invited. Invitation to submit a full application does not guarantee funding.
- You will be notified via email when a decision is made regarding your LOI application. We expect to notify you one month after the application deadline.
- There are three LOI application deadlines per year:
- Cycle 1: April 1st, 2021 5:00 PM ET (typically February 1st at 5:00 PM EST)
- Cycle 2: June 1st, 2021 at 5:00 PM EST
- Cycle 3: October 1st, 2021 at 5:00 PM EST
- Please submit applications to:
Hazel Simpson
Clinical Research Coordinator
Recovery Research Institute
recoverseminars@mgh.harvard.edu
Full Application (By (Invitation):
- If your Letter of Intent is approved, you will be invited to submit a full proposal that contains the following information (maximum of 5 pages):
- Title of proposed project
- Name of investigator(s), degrees, position titles, mailing addresses, and department/school
- Phone number and email
- Statement on Human Subjects / IRB
- Detailed and clear project proposal that addresses the following points:
- Aims / goals of the project
- Why this work is important
- Relevant background information
- Methods and target population
- Expected results
- Timeline of proposed project (figure + 200 words max)
- Type of deliverable product to come out of project (e.g., presentation of findings at national conferences, publication of manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals, preparation of larger grant proposals).
- Note: You must document how you will share your findings with the field and agree to share your findings with us in some capacity through our website.
- Please include the following information as appendices (this does not contribute to the 5-page limit):
- Key personnel/collaborators: NIH biosketch
- Bibliography: Complete list of cited literature
- Detailed budget and justification
- Please submit all of the above information in a single PDF.
- There are three application deadlines for the final proposal per year:
-
- Cycle 1: June 1st, 2021 at 5:00 PM EST (typically April 1st at 5:00 PM EST)
- Cycle 2: August 1st, 2021 at 5:00 PM EST
- Cycle 3: December 1st, 2021 at 5:00 PM EST
You will be notified via email when a decision is made regarding your application. We expect to notify you two months after the application deadline.
-
- Please submit applications to:
Hazel Simpson
Clinical Research Coordinator
Recovery Research Institute
recoverseminars@mgh.harvard.edu
Please find submission information and templates below:
Application Guidelines and Information
Funding for Conference Travel
These scientific conference travel awards are funded by an R24 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (R24DA051988) to help defray costs of conference registration, travel, and attendance.
The goal of these conference travel awards is to support presentations at national conferences that inform the scientific field about recovery community centers (RCCs) and how they may support persons seeking or in recovery from substance use disorder. We hope that by presenting more information on RCCs to the scientific community, we can stimulate research interest in them. Presentations in diverse scientific fields are encouraged (e.g., psychology, public health, addiction, social work, epidemiology, etc.). Of particular interest are presentations that focus on persons who were or who are being maintained on medications for the treatment of opioid use disorder.
THE AWARD:
- $1000 award (per presentation, with up to four presentations within a single symposium)
- 16 awarded per year
- ~4 awarded per quarter
- Award can be used to cover the cost of conference registration, travel, attendance, or peripherals associated with presenting virtually
ELEGIBILITY:
- Your conference proposal must address the role of recovery community centers in supporting persons who were or who are being maintained on medications for the treatment of opioid use disorder or advance the science to this end (including but not limited to: perceptions around MOUDs, linkages from clinical sites to RCCs, etc…).
- Faculty members, research scientists, post-doctoral research scholars or graduate students from any academic or health care institution in the United States are eligible to apply. Black, indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC) are especially encouraged to apply.
- Proposals that are part of a symposia (i.e., oral presentation) on the topic of recovery community centers for individuals with opioid use disorders are preferred but not required. Multiple individuals within the same symposia are encouraged to apply. Individuals with poster abstract proposals in the area are also eligible.
- You may apply at any time of year for any conference.
PROCESS:
- Please apply after your presentation has been accepted for presentation.
- To apply, please fill out the form here
- You will need to submit the following materials:
- Conference proposal as submitted to the conference
- Confirmation that the symposium or other proposal has been selected for presentation
- A link to the conference’s call for proposals
- A brief description of the conference and the audience it reaches
- The committee will meet every two months to review applications.
- You will be notified via email when a decision is made regarding your application.
Apply here: https://redcap.partners.org/redcap/surveys/?s=HN8YK4J893
Please find a document containing the application information below:
Post-Doctoral Position Application
Postdoctoral Addiction Fellowship in Recovery-Oriented Systems of Care:
The Recovery Research Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital & Harvard Medical School is recruiting a postdoctoral fellow for a NIDA-funded R24 two-year fellowship to commence in the summer/fall 2021. The goal of the R24 is to advance the science on recovery community centers (RCCs); services that provide access and linkages to resources to help individuals initiate and sustain remission as well as improve physical and emotional well-being (e.g., housing, jobs, recovery coaching). The R24 focuses, in particular, on the intersection between these community-based services and opioid agonist and antagonist medications (e.g., buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone) for individuals with current or remitted opioid use disorder. To this end, our team, consisting of scientists, clinicians, recovery support services leadership, and persons with lived experience from multiple organizations and institutions from across the US, are coordinating several activities to advance the science on RCCs. We are recruiting a postdoctoral fellow to be involved in all of these activities (e.g., participate in the monthly seminar series, participate in Steering Committee meetings, and become involved in providing technical assistance to RCC personnel) while advancing their own line of research through manuscript preparation, professional network building, and grant writing.
The ideal candidate has a demonstrated research interest in recovery support services (including, but not limited to, recovery community centers), and/or research with persons who utilize medication treatment for opioid use disorder. Applicants new to this area of research who wish to gain expertise in recovery research through this fellowship will also be considered. This is a mentored position, in which the aspiring independent researcher will have access to formal training opportunities within the MGH / Harvard Medical School system (e.g., formal training seminars in statistics, qualitative research methods, grant writing), and access to relevant datasets for secondary data analyses including a longitudinal study of recovery community center participants, several longitudinal datasets assessing recovery processes and substance use among clinical and community samples, and a nationally representative survey of US adults who resolved a significant alcohol or other drug problem. Primary mentors for this position are Dr. John Kelly (emphasis on stigma/discrimination, treatment and recovery support services, mechanisms of behavior change, addiction theories, measurement-based practice) and Dr. Bettina Hoeppner (emphasis on mHealth technologies, positive psychology, mechanisms of behavior change). The postdoctoral fellow will also be encouraged to build professional relationships with other faculty members within the Recovery Research Institute, the Center for Addiction Medicine, the Massachusetts General Hospital Psychiatry Department, and other academic research groups within the Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School system that may be relevant to the applicant’s line of research.
Competitive applicants will have excellent writing skills, robust quantitative skills, and a track record of research that demonstrates aptitude for recovery research. Competitive candidates will also be able to demonstrate interest in science that bridges clinical and community-based services, particularly for individuals who were or who are utilizing medications for opioid use disorder. Previous grant writing is not required but considered a strength. Salaries and benefits will be commensurate with NIH’s NRSA stipend levels. Applicants should have a Ph.D., M.D., or equivalent doctoral degree in behavioral or social sciences (e.g., psychology, social work, public health).
Interested candidates should send a CV and cover letter stating their research interests and career goals to Ms. Hazel Simpson (hvsimpson@mgh.harvard.edu). Individuals from all backgrounds, especially those from historically underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.
Connecting the Multiple Stakeholders
List of RCCs Interested in Research:
- This list contains the contact information of recovery community centers who are interested in collaborating with scientists on research studies.
- The list contains the following information:
- RCC Name
- Location
- Brief Description
- Website
- Contact name, role, email, and phone
- If you plan to contact any RCCs on this list, please let them know where you found their contact information.
- If you would like your RCC to be added to the list, please email recoveryseminars@mgh.harvard.edu
List of Studies That Are Looking for Study Participation From RCCs:
Through our ongoing conversations for this research advancing initiative, we are aware of several ongoing research studies that would love to include RCC participants. Some of these studies are directly about the RCC experience; others are relevant for RCC participants without a specific emphasis on RCCs. All of these studies compensate study participants for their time. To help connect RCCs with scientists, and vice versa, we are listing these studies here for your consideration:
- “Alcohol Recovery Research Study” – a study by the University of New Mexico to find out more about recovery from alcohol use disorder.
- “Defining Recovery Capital” – a NIAAA-funded study to develop a new measure of recovery capital—the social, financial, human, and cultural resources that support recovery from alcohol and other drug problems.
- “Quitting Nondaily Smoking” – a study funded by the American Cancer Society to test the effectiveness of smoking cessation support, delivered remotely.
- “Recovery Pathways Study” – a NIAAA-funded study to describe different recovery pathways over time.
Curated List of Studies related to Substance Use: We have also become aware of a great resource that Dr. Joe Riggs put together. He created a curated list of studies that are looking for research participants. All of these studies are addressing substance use. Please check out his map and listing here: “Clinical Trials Map”
Scientists, if you’d like your study listed here, please email us: recoveryseminars@mgh.harvard.edu
Hands-On Support:
Our R24 team is ready and excited to lend a helping hand, and/or to simply connect and discuss issues pertaining to advancing the science on recovery community centers. Please reach out to us (recoveryseminars@mgh.harvard.edu) to schedule a meeting with Dr. Bettina Hoeppner via Zoom to:
- Ask questions about ways to measure the impact of your RCC
- Get hands-on support designing online surveys for your RCC
- Get feedback regarding an application you want to submit for our pilot study funding mechanism
- Follow-up on discussions we have started during our seminar series
- Provide feedback to us on things you think we should be talking about within our seminar series
- Explore opportunities for collaboration – e.g., for scientists to connect with RCCs; for RCCs to connect with scientists
- … and more!
We would love to hear from you and connect with you.
Please also find the listed relevant materials below:
Alcohol Recovery Research Study
Repository of Useful Scales
Here you will find a list of scales and measures that could be useful in measuring outcomes in RCCs and studies. Below, the items have been grouped by the counstructs they measure. You can open a PDF containing the full items and scoring of each measure by clicking on the link in the “Items” column.
Note: This list is still a work in progress, so any blank spaces currently in the tables will be filled in at a later time. We will also be adding more scales and measures over time.
If you would like more information on any of the listed scales, please email recoveryseminars@mgh.harvard.edu
Recovery Specific Constructs
| Name | # Items | Items |
| Substance Use Recovery Evaluator (SURE) | 26 | (Neale et al., 2016) |
| Brief Assessment of Recovery Capital (BARC-10) | 10 | (Vilsaint et al., 2017) |
| Assessment of Recovery Capital (ARC) | 50 | (Groshkova et al., 2013) |
| Recovery Progression Measure (RPM) | 36 | (Elison et al., 2016) |
Evaluation of Services
| Name | # Items | Items |
| Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ) | 8 | (Larsen, 1979) |
| Client Evaluation of Self and Treatment (CEST) | 130 | (Institute of Behavioral Research, 2005) |
| Social Support Subscale of Client Evaluation of Self and Treatment (CEST-SS) | 9 | (Institute of Behavioral Research, 2005) |
| Utilization of Recovery-Oriented Services | 1 | Items |
Quality of Life
| Name | # Items | Items |
| EUROHIS-QOL | 8 | (Schmidt et al., 2006) |
| Quality of Life (WHOQOL)-BREF | 26 | (WHOQOL Group, 1998) |
Emotional Well-Being
| Name | # Items | Items |
| Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWL) | 5 | (Diener et al., 1985) |
| Single-Item Self-Esteem Scale | 1 | (Robins et al., 2001) |
| Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS) | 4 | (Lyubomirsky & Lepper, 1999) |
| Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) | 10 | (Rosenberg, 1965) |
Flourishing
| Name | # Items | Items |
| PERMA Profiler | 23 | (Butler & Kern, 2016) |
| Flourish Measure (FM) | 6 | (VanderWeele, 2017) |
| Flourishing Scale (FS) | 8 | (Diener et al., 2010) |
| Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS) | 14 | (Snaith et al., 1995) |
| State Optimism Measure (SOM) | 7 | (Millstein et al., 2019) |
| Brief State Optimism Measure (B-SOM) | 2 | B-SOM Items |
Mechanisms of Behavior Change
| Name | # Items | Items |
| Alcohol Abstinence Self-Efficacy 12-Item (AASE-12) | 12 | (McKiernan et al., 2011) |
| Alcohol Abstinence Self-Efficacy 20-Item (AASE-20) | 20 | (DiClemente et al., 1994) |
Resilience
| Name | # Items | Items |
| Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) | 5 | (Smith et al., 2008) |
| Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) | 10 | (Cohen, 1983) |
Stressors
| Name | # Items | Items |
| Center of Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D-10) | 10 | (Andresen et al., 1994) |
| Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screener (GAD-7) | 7 | (Spitzer et al., 2006 & Löwe et al., 2008) |
Substance Use
| Name | # Items | Items |
| Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test – Consumption (AUDIT-C) | 3 | (Bradley et al., 2007) |
| Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test – 10-item measure (AUDIT 10) | 10 | (Bohn et al., 1995) |
Physical Health
| Name | # Items | Items |
| Rand Health Survey (SF-36) | 36 | (Hays et al., 1993) |
If you would like a list of all scales with full APA references, please open the document titled “Repository of Scales“. This list is being continually updated, so check back later for more scales!
Please find the full list of scales, in order of appearance on this page, below:
Substance Use Recovery Evaluator (SURE)
Brief Assessment of Recovery Capital (BARC-10)
Assessment of Recovery Capital (ARC)
Recovery Progression Measure (RPM)
Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ)
Client Evaluation of Self and Treatment (CEST)
Social Support Subscale of Client Evaluation of Self and Treatment (CEST-SS)
Utilization of Recovery-Oriented Services
Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWL)
Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS)
Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES)
Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS)
Brief State Optimism Measure (B-SOM)
Alcohol Abstinence Self-Efficacy 12-Item (AASE-12)
Alcohol Abstinence Self-Efficacy 20-Item (AASE-20)
Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10)
Center of Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D-10)
Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screener (GAD-7)
Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test – Consumption (AUDIT-C)
Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test – 10-item measure (AUDIT 10)
The Consortium on Addiction Recovery Science (CoARS)
The website you are currently on describes the activities of one of five projects funded by this National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) Request for Application (RFA) to advance the science on recovery support services. Specifically, our project is:
Advancing the Science on Recovery Community Centers
- Topic: Recovery community centers
- Principal Investigators: John Kelly and Bettina Hoeppner
- Website (you are here already!)
- NIH Project Information
Together, the five projects comprise the Consortium on Addiction Recovery Science (CoARS). Across these programs, a core interest and focus is on how these recovery support services can help address the opioid epidemic, in particular, through supporting the use of medications for opioid use disorder. The other four projects are:
The JEAP Initiative
- Topic: Recovery support services for justice-involved and emerging adult populations
- Principal Investigators: Ashli Sheidow and Michael McCart
- Website
- NIH Project Information
FIRST Research Network
- Topic: Family-based recovery support services
- Principal Investigators: Aaron Hogue
- Website
- NIH Project Information
STARS Network
- Topic: Recovery support services in rural settings
- Principal Investigators: Robert Pack and Kimberly Horn
- Website
- NIH Project Information
Integrated Networks of Care
- Topic: Integrated networks of care
- Principal Investigators: George Unick and Michelle Tuten
- Website in development
- NIH Project Information
All of these programs focus on network-building initiatives. As such, they are open to participation by all members of the vast community concerned about opioid and other substance use disorders. Each program has numerous opportunities to participate and contribute to our efforts to expand the research infrastructure on recovery support services. Currently, opportunities for participation include: interactive online seminars; pilot grant funding to conduct your own preliminary studies; research mentoring programs in the study of recovery support services; designing and testing new measures; and pooling existing measurement resources. We are always looking for new ideas to increase our reach and impact. Please reach out to us via email to find out more information or to set up a Zoom call. We welcome your interest, participation, and support.