Active Projects
The MISSION Behavioral Health Lab is dedicated to conducting state-of-the-art research towards advancing our understanding of the etiology, consequences, and treatment of addiction and mental health, as well as implementation of evidence-based practices. The MISSION Behavioral Health Lab serves as an academic incubator for collaborations within the Department of Medicine, the UMass Chan Medical School, other University of Massachusetts campuses, and beyond.
MISSION-STAR COD
(2021-2026)
PI David Smelson Psy.D.
Supported by NIH/NIMH
Title: Supporting Treatment and Recovery for Co-Occurring Disorders (STAR-COD). Aimed at augmenting Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) usual care with a time-limited wraparound intervention called “Maintaining Independence and Sobriety through Systems Integration, Outreach, and Networking (MISSION) specifically for individuals with co-occurring opioid addiction and mental illness given that they have high rates of treatment discontinuation and poor outcomes. This is a 4-year, 5-arm RCT with a fractional factorial design among 1,000 patients across 9 MOUD programs to test the added benefit of MISSION or its components + MOUD compared to MOUD alone.
MISSION-STAR COD Supplement
(2021-2024)
PI David Smelson Psy.D.
Supported by NIH/NIMH
Title: Strategies to Improve Diversity, Inclusion, and Engagement in STAR-COD. This proposed supplement intends to improve the recruitment of Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino individuals (in a parent NIMH clinical trial #1R01MH128904-01), while also offering the field lessons for future clinical trials.
MISSION-STAR-LS
(2021-2025)
PI David Smelson Psy.D.
Supported by CDC
Title: Supporting Treatment Access and Recovery through Linkage and Support (STAR-LS). This is a randomized controlled trial embedded within the City of Worcester 911 call center that will compare MISSION and low intensity linkage support.
MISSION-OUD
(2021-2027)
PI Jennifer Harter Ph.D.
Supported by SAMHSA
Title: Supporting Treatment Access and Recovery for Opioid Use Disorder. The purpose of this project is to provide wraparound MISSION services to individuals with CODs to increase access to mental health, substance use, trauma, and employment services.
MISSION-Springfield
(2020-2025)
PI Sheila Casey, Esq.
Supported by SAMHSA/CSAT
The MISSION- Springfield project aims to enhance the existing COD treatment services being provided through the Springfield Drug Court by administering MISSION-Criminal Justice services. These services include intensive case management, peer support, COD and trauma-informed counseling, and care linkage and coordination to recovery and wraparound supports, including Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), employment, and housing supports.
MISSION-West
(2017-2022)
PI David Smelson Psy.D.
Supported by SAMHSA/CSAT
MISSION-Western Massachusetts (MISSION-West) aims to provide wraparound services to benefit chronically homeless individuals with CODs via the provision of the MISSION model. This service enhancement initiative intends to increase access to permanent housing, mental health, substance abuse, trauma, and employment services among homeless individuals in Western Massachusetts.
MISSION-Hope
(2017-2022)
PI Sheila Casey, Esq.
Supported by SAMHSA/CSAT
The MISSION-Hope project aims to enhance and expand upon the Franklin County Family Drug Court's existing efforts to ameliorate the negative impact of opioid, other substance use, and CODs for parents, children, and other caregivers via the provision of the MISSION-Criminal Justice model. MISSION-Hope seeks to promote family stability and unification, as well as access to mental health, substance abuse, trauma, employment, and familial support services for those families involved in the drug and juvenile courts.
MISSION-Cape Cod
(2018-2023)
PI Sheila Casey, Esq.
Supported by SAMHSA/CSAT
The MISSION-Cape project aims to enhance the existing COD treatment services being provided through the Barnstable Drug Court by administering MISSION-Criminal Justice services. These services include medication assisted treatment, mental health and trauma-informed therapy, employment opportunities, and housing through intensive case management and peer-support.
MISSION-Mill Cities
(2019-2024)
PI Sheila Casey, Esq.
Supported by SAMHSA/CSAT
The MISSION-Mill Cities project aims to enhance the existing COD treatment services being provided through the Lowell and Lawrence Drug Courts by administering MISSION-Criminal Justice services. These services include medication assisted treatment, mental health and trauma-informed therapy, employment opportunities, and housing through intensive case management and peer-support.
VA Projects
The Bridge Queri II
(2020-2025)
Co-PIs David Smelson Psy.D., Keith McInnes Scd,MS, Amanda Midboe Ph.D., and Rani Elwy Ph.D.
Supported by VA QUERI
The BRIDGE QUERI II follows from the first implementation science center and includes a series of center cores and 3 projects that focuses on interventions for vulnerable populations of Veterans, including those experiencing homelessness, those whom are opiate dependent and those exiting incarceration. The projects include 18 states nationally with the goal of looking and drivers of uptake for delivering evidence-based practices in programs.
MISSION-CJ for Justice-Involved Homeless Veterans with Co-Occurring Substance Use and Mental Health Disorders
(2019-2024)
Co-PIs David Smelson Psy.D., Daniel Blonigen Ph.D.
Supported by VA HSR&D
Title: A Randomized Controlled Trial of MISSION-CJ for Justice-Involved Homeless Veterans with Co-Occurring Substance Use and Mental Health Disorders. We seek to conduct an RCT of MISSION-CJ for chronically homeless and criminally-justice involved Veterans with a COD in VA Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Programs. Veterans will receive MISSION-CJ services while they are engaged in the program and post-discharge in the community.
MISSION-Hub
(2022)
PI David Smelson Ps.D.
Supported by VA QUERI
This a supplement to the BRIDGE QUERI II, which provides funding to develop and pilot test the feasibility of a virtual care hub to deliver MISSION services to 3 Veterans Administration Medical Center’s around the country where MISSION is unavailable.
Active Collaborations
Using Data Analytics and Targeted Whole Health Coaching to Reduce Frequent Utilization of Acute Care among Homeless Veterans
(2021-2025)
PI Daniel Blonigen Ph.D.
Supported by VA HSR&D
This is a multisite randomized controlled trial of Whole Health Coaching for high-risk homeless individuals. Data analytics will be used to identify and enroll high risk veterans through the hot spotter registry. community.
A Female Specific Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Alcohol Use Disorders in VA Primary Care
(2021-2025)
Co-PIs Elizabeth Epstein Ph.D., David Smelson Psy.D., and Scott Sherman Ph.D.
Supported by NIH/NIDA
This project will be a multisite RCT to test the effectiveness of a gender specific cognitive behavioral therapy in primary care for increasing access and engagement in care.