University Researches Opioid Treatments Among Parolees

Loyola’s Criminal Justice Center is collaborating with Texas Christian University and the University of New Mexico on a research project focused on opioid use among individuals on parole.

The project is funded by a grant awarded to TCU from the Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network, which operates under the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

David Olsen, co-director of Loyola’s Criminal Justice Center said the goal of this research is to strengthen connections between certified treatment programs and individuals leaving prison. Through this collaboration Loyola, TCU and UNM are examining how treatment programs can be most effectively employed in Illinois, Texas and New Mexico, according to Olsen.

The research opportunity arose after the National Institute of Justice — the research and monitoring agency of the U.S.Department of Justice — sought to expand research efforts around substance abuse treatment amongst those reentering society from prison. After the creation of the Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network, several universities received funding to explore innovative solutions to the drug crisis. 

Olsen has worked with TCU’s institute for behavioral research for over two decades. He said this partnership laid the foundation for a collaborative research project which leverages the unique strengths of each university to create comprehensive, multi-state solutions. 

“Texas Christian University wanted to make it a project which looked at efforts in multiple states” Olsen said. “So TCU worked with myself at Loyola, and then another colleague at the University of New Mexico to create the proposal.”

Congress passed the Senate Consolidated Appropriations Act in 2018 in response to rising opioid overdose rates, leading to the substantial funding for the National Institute of Health. Part of this funding allowed Chief Researcher Dr. Tisha Wiley to create the Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network. The network is one of the NIH’s largest research initiatives to date, according to the NIH website.

The primary mission of Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network is to find evidence-based interventions for substance use disorders and to specifically apply how these methods can be made more accessible to people struggling, according to Wiley.

Wiley was optimistic about Loyola joining the collaboration, and said she believes some “truly amazing” things are happening with these collegiate recovery programs.

Wiley emphasized the importance of ensuring individuals suffering of opioid addiction have some form of contact with the justice system. She also said opioid users passing through the criminal justice system are often at a high risk of dying from an overdose. 

Despite this, when analyzing the criminal justice system, researchers such as Olsen and Wiley also recognized parole systems vary across different communities. This is where research programs, like the TCU collaboration, create the opportunity to conduct a more comprehensive analysis of the criminal justice system, according to Wiley.

“When I designed JCOIN, I designed an opportunity for people to come with different ideas,” Wiley said.

Wiley stressed the importance of universities engaging in similar research projects, as they connect those on parole to effective treatments and services.

“Many substances that people get addicted to are illegal,” Wiley said. “That association with an illegal substance is what leads many users to come in contact with the justice system.”

Olsen explained that legal proceedings vary depending on state or jurisdiction. In some areas, parole offices house a behavioral health service provider, while in others that interaction is less common.

“Part of it is that parole agents oftentimes don’t feel their role and responsibility is to help get treatment,” Olsen said. “Their role and responsibility is to ensure that the conditions ordered by the prisoner review board are followed.”

On the other hand, clinicians may not fully understand how the parole system operates, which can hinder their ability to provide effective treatment, Olsen said. He said the main goal of the collaboration is to address this disconnect and improve partnership between parole agents and community health providers.

Wiley said the ultimate goal is to create a treatment model that, if successful, can eventually be adopted in other regions of the United States.

Olsen notes while students face far lower risks than those on parole, issues of abuse on campus are still prevalent. There’s a parallel between the way the research impacts those working with people on parole and the ways universities train faculty to help students access the services they need.

Joan Holden, the director of Loyola’s Wellness Center, said she believes universities are responsible for identifying addiction issues early. 

“We have the responsibility of just screening to determine whether or not there is a pattern of substance use disorder for our students,” Holden said. 

To stay informed on substance use trends within the student body, the Wellness Center administers surveys which gather data on students’ use of various substances. The information helps the center specialize its interventions to the needs of Loyola students Holden said. 

One of the notable initiatives launched last November was Loyola’s Narcan training program, which provides participants with a free dosage of Narcan, a life-saving medication used to reverse opioid overdoses, The Phoenix previously reported.

Callie Powers, Loyola’s alcohol and drug educator, said she’s responsible for working with students to address concerns over substance use. Similar to the findings on the research project, Powers and the Wellness Centers said they use evidence-based interventions as a priority.

“In any new alcohol or other drug program that we bring to our campus, we heavily research it beforehand, note what other universities have been doing and look for evidence-based models that we can incorporate,” Powers said. 

Holden said while the Wellness Center doesn’t provide long-term recovery programs, it takes steps to intervene when a pattern of substance use is detected by working with students individually to assess their needs. 

However, challenges still exist in bridging the gap between students and the Wellness Center, particularly in terms of increasing student engagement, according to Holden.

Second-year Ian Lekvin said he believes the administration’s strict disciplinary actions can prevent students from receiving necessary aid. Moreover, he said the stigma surrounding substance abuse prevents students themselves from intervening.

“It’s an invasion of privacy.” Lekvin said. “No one really wants to be the one to report someone, even if it’s anonymous. The person can kind of tell who reported them.”

Lekvin said he believes a solution lies in promoting open conversations. 

“I think the only way that that sort of thing can stop happening is if people come out and talk about it,” Levkin said. “And, you know, don’t stigmatize” 

Holden said there are ways students can get involved in drug intervention programs, like the Wellness Wolfpack, a subcommittee within the Wellness Center which focuses on implementing more peer-based interventions during the school year.

Both Wiley and Olsen said they believe awareness plays a large step in creating a system which allows those who are vulnerable to reach the treatment they need. Olsen said a challenge they’re facing is their work is while people get exposed to certain resources, they may not make use of it. 

“When you help people find their way to recover, it not only benefits them — it benefits the people that love them,” Wiley said. “Then it benefits their community.”