Study Director: Justin S. Bell, PhD, is a postdoctoral fellow at Chestnut Health Systems’ Lighthouse Institute in Chicago.

I-STARR Mentors: Co-Is Lenny Jason, PhD and Sarah Zemore, PhD.

Pilot Study: Justin’s study examines low-barrier recovery housing (LBRH) and its role in supporting residents receiving MOUD. The study aims to assess the potential impact of LBRH residence on outcomes for residents with OUD through secondary analysis of a Chicago-based program evaluation and identify key LBRH service components that facilitate MOUD-related engagement, retention and recovery through cross-case analysis of programs in Chicago and Los Angeles.

Approach: The study uses a parallel mixed-methods approach with secondary analysis of quantitative and qualitative data from Chicago’s Sanctuary LBRH program (21 residents, 7 staff) and additional qualitative interviews with residents and staff from Los Angeles’ SHARE! Collaborative Housing program. Analysis applies the OUD Cascade of Care framework and EPIS implementation science framework to identify facilitators and barriers across MOUD engagement stages.

Innovations: To our knowledge, this is the first rigorous study of LBRH programs, which eliminate abstinence-only requirements and explicitly integrate MOUD as a supported recovery pathway. The study applies the OUD Cascade of Care framework to systematically assess how LBRH influences each stage of MOUD engagement, examining two sites at different developmental stages to identify essential program components for successful MOUD integration.

Presentations and Publications:

Forthcoming.