Study Director: Lin Liu, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at Temple University. Her research focuses on reentry, corrections, juvenile justice, and the integration of machine learning and artificial intelligence into social science research. One of her primary research areas is substance use among justice-involved populations, with a focus on how early adversity, system contact, criminal legal stigma, and broader contextual factors shape patterns of substance use, escalation, progression, and recovery. Using an interdisciplinary approach, Dr. Liu aims to generate evidence that informs culturally sensitive, evidence-based treatment and recovery pathways for high-risk justice-involved individuals.

I-STARR Mentor: mPI Amy Mericle, PhD, and Steven Belenko, PhD

Pilot Study:  This study examines how parole officers (POs) and recovery housing (RH) staff collaborate to support individuals leaving prison who are receiving medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). As RHs increasingly admit post‑incarcerated individuals on MOUD, effective PO–RH coordination is essential for a safe and stable transition into community‑based recovery settings. The study identifies individual‑ and agency‑level barriers and facilitators that shape this collaboration.

Approach: Using a mixed‑methods design, the study will recruit 40 POs and 40 RH staff across Pennsylvania. Guided by the Implementation Science and Health Stigma and Discrimination frameworks, the study will explore practitioners’ MOUD knowledge, attitudes, stigma, willingness to collaborate, and their views on what an ideal PO–RH staff collaboration would look like to facilitate parolees on MOUD to transition into RH. 

Innovations: To our knowledge, this is the first examination of multilevel (individual‑ and agency‑level) barriers and facilitators shaping collaboration between parole officers and recovery housing staff to support individuals leaving prison who are receiving medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). This study fills a critical gap by generating urgently needed data on how these two systems coordinate during a vulnerable transition period. The findings will guide the development of strategies to strengthen coordination between these two key actors in the recovery of post‑incarcerated individuals who are on MOUD.