Research & Projects
Our Research
Our Research covers epidemiology, prevention, and intervention for addiction and mental health conditions. Some of our Core Research Areas include peer recovery support, digital health, and rural health.
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Epidemiology
The prevalence, risk and protective factors associated with addiction and mental health conditions.
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Prevention
Evaluation of strategies across all levels of the social ecology that prevent or mitigate these public health problems, including strategies that target individuals, families, schools, communities, and society.
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Intervention
Developing evidence-based practices for ameliorating substance use and mental health conditions. Improving service provision, utilization, and delivery.
Our Projects
Select Projects
Here is a sampling of a few of our Center's projects.
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SC COSSUP Initiative (Law Enforcement Assisted Deflection)
- PI: Heidi Zinzow
- Counties: Chester, Georgetown, City of Myrtle Beach, Richland, Sumter, and City of West Columbia
- Community Partners: DAODAS, Clemson’s Center for Criminal Justice and Social Research
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Development and Pilot of a Trauma Screening/Referral and Sexual Violence Prevention Protocol for Women with Opioid Use Disorders
- PI: Heidi Zinzow
- County: Greenville
- Community Partners: Prisma Health (Magdalene Clinic, Prisma Health Addiction Medicine Center, Infectious Diseases Clinic), Phoenix Center, and Furman University
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South Carolina Center of Excellence in Addiction
- PIs: Alain Litwin, Heidi Zinzow
- Counties: Statewide
- Community Partners: Clinicians, health care providers, county and city administrators, fire and law enforcement officers, and nonprofit leaders.
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Development of an integrated intervention involving recovery coaching and cognitive behavioral therapy for opioid use disorder
- PI: Alain Litwin
- County: Greenville
- Community Partners: Prisma Health-Upstate, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
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A novel approach for rural interdisciplinary care coordination of uninsured South Carolinians with opioid use disorder and/or co-occurring Hepatitis-C Virus
- PI: Caitlin Moore Kickham
- Counties: Statewide
- Community Partners: Clemson Rural Health; Prisma Health
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Expanding Treatment and Services for NAS for Mothers and Babies
- PI’s: Rachel Mayo, Lori Dickes
- Counties: Pickens, Anderson
- Community Partners: Pickens County, Anderson County, Prisma Health – Upstate, AnMed Health
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A Peer Recovery Coaching Intervention for Hospitalized Alcohol Use Disorder Patients
- PI: Kaileigh Byrne
- Counties: Greenville, Pickens, Oconee
- Community Partners: Prisma Health – Upstate, Prisma Health – Oconee
Research Areas
Research conducted by our faculty affiliates spans several domains, including:
- Health disparities
- Genetics of addiction
- Technology-based interventions (virtual reality, telehealth, digital apps for mental health)
- Complementary and mindfulness-based interventions
- Rural health, mobile care, and outreach
- Connections between natural environment, built environment, and mental health
- Addiction and cognitive functioning
- Trauma, adverse experiences, and mental health
- Leveraging big data to understand resource allocation, service use, and health outcomes
- Prevention programs for sexual violence, suicide, and substance use
- Developing models of care for co-occurring disorders
- Improving care and resources for neonatal abstinence syndrome
- Expanding peer recovery coaching capacity and resources
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy and empirically supported treatments for substance use disorders and other mental health conditions
- Barriers to treatment adherence and care
- Stress and well-being in the workforce
- Workforce development to improve provider skills and increase access to evidence-based mental health services
