Participate in Studies

PEERS: Peer Education Empowering Recovery Support

Receive valuable training in peer recovery support, vocational and educational coaching, and receive money for completing research visits and providing program feedback—while helping local emerging adults meet their recovery goals

PEERS—Peer Education Empowering Recovery Support—is a new research project at Chestnut Health Systems' Lighthouse Institute (previously at OSLC Developments, Inc.) led by JEAP Researcher Dr. Tess K. Drazdowski in collaboration with Sponsors, Inc. We are now enrolling adults, ages 18-30, who are interested in becoming coaches to help emerging adults in the criminal legal system with their vocational, educational, and substance use recovery goals. This project will look at whether it helps emerging adults on probation or parole in Lane County, Oregon to have a coach provide the PEERS program. PEERS includes CM, or Contingency Management, a proven substance use service. It also includes vocational and educational skills building. This project is important because it explores new ways to provide much-needed evidence-based services to individuals who typically lack access to such programs.

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We are seeking coaches both with and without lived experience in the adult criminal legal system and/or who consider themselves in substance use recovery. Coaches will receive extensive training and support while obtaining real world experience in peer recovery support, as well as vocational and educational mentoring. Coaches also receive financial compensation for completing interviews. 

Who is eligible as a PEERS Coach:

  • Ages 18-30

  • Interested in becoming coaches to help emerging adults who currently are on, or previously were on, probation/parole or diversion/deflection programs with their vocational, educational, and substance use recovery goals 

  • We are seeking coaches both with and without lived experience in the criminal legal system and/or who consider themselves in substance use recovery 

  • Able to meet clients in-person in Lane County, Oregon on a weekly basis

What to expect as a PEERS Coach:

  • The project will last approximately 3 years (until December 2025); you will be asked to participate at various time points during the project

  • After you are trained, participating emerging adult clients will be assigned to you, though you may not have all clients at once

  • You will deliver the PEERS program to clients in-person weekly, with each meeting taking 60 minutes 

  • The program will take approximately six months for completion for each client

  • Ongoing support and supervision in providing the PEERS program will be provided 

  • You will receive an activity stipend for each participating client to be used to attend local events, engage in activities, and buy food/drink during your meetings 

  • Payment is provided for completing different activities during the project: web-based surveys, virtual interviews with research team members, and uploading session materials

How to sign up:

If you are interested in learning how to help others achieve their substance use recovery goals and gain valuable mentoring experience, contact us today!

Call or text Alice Dawson at 541-251-8507 or use the adjacent contact form to send an email message.

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Who is eligible to be a PEERS client:

  • Ages 18-26

  • Currently or previously on probation/parole or a diversion/deflection program

  • Have a stable primary address in Lane County

  • Interested in substance use recovery and/or building vocational/educational skills

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What to expect as a PEERS client:

  • Your total participation time in the study is approximately 6 months

  • You will be assigned a PEERS coach, who may or may not have lived experience in the adult criminal legal system and/or substance use recovery 

  • Your PEERS coach will have weekly in-person meetings with you, with each meeting taking 60 minutes 

  • We will also ask you to do 3 in-person visits to OSLC over 6 months; participants who live 20+ miles from OSLC may complete these visits remotely 

  • Visits may include interviews, web-based surveys, and drug screens (via mouth swab or urine sample) 

  • You will be paid for completing the in-person visits, with bonus payments offered for completing surveys and drug screens on time; each participant can make up to $130-$155 for completing the screening and all assessments 

  • All information shared with us during the project is kept completely private unless there are explicit safety concerns 

  • Taking part in the project will not help or hurt your probation status, detention release dates, or parole eligibility

Project Launch

This paid research study provides an opportunity to participate in a program that the Launch team is designing to help young adults and parents of young adults struggling with substance use.
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You may be eligible if:

  • You are 18-26 years old

  • You currently struggle with substance use

  • You are the parent of a young adult (18-26) who is struggling with substance use

Study participation may entail:

  • Completing online surveys and interviews about yourself and your experience in the study

  • Participating in one of Launch's exploratory recovery support programs, which will take approximately 1 hour/week for 5 months

  • Completing two at-home drug screenings and sharing the results with researchers (don't worry, your results will be kept confidential)

  • Compensation is provided for time spent taking surveys, doing research interviews, and for providing drug screen test results

If you are interested in participating, please reach out to Alice Dawson at (541) 251-8507 or send an email to aldawson@chestnut.org.

Research Study for Persons Taking MOUDs

The purpose of this research study is to document how people who use medications for opioid use disorder navigate recovery. This study will involve 60 participants and can be completed in-person or remotely.

You may be eligible if:

  • You are 18 years or older

  • You are currently taking medications to treat your opioid use disorder (MOUDs)

  • You have not attended a recovery community center in your area in the last three (3) months

Study participation will entail:

  • Five (5) online surveys

  • Five (5) Timeline Followback (TLFB) interviews conducted via Zoom

  • Three (3) saliva swab tests (can be done in-person or remotely)

  • We will provide payment (up to $300) to complete study assessments (i.e., surveys, saliva tests, TLFB interviews)

If you are interested in participating, click the button below to complete a survey to determine your eligibility. Alternatively, you can reach out to the study team at (617) 724-2361 or email us at rccscience@mgh.harvard.edu.

DRP - Flyer 2 - IRB Approved (9.4.2023)

The Quitting Smoking with App Support (QSAS) Research Study

Smoking is dangerous for everyone, and particularly so for people with HIV. For those engaged in HIV care, smoking poses a much greater risk to your survival than HIV. Smartphone apps can help people with quitting smoking. We are conducting this study to compare two approaches that use smartphone apps to help people with HIV quit smoking.
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You may be eligible if:

  • You currently smoke at least once per week

  • You are HIV-positive

  • You are currently receiving care for HIV

  • You own a smartphone

  • You want to quit smoking

What are you asked to do in the study?

Study participation occurs over the course of three months. During this time, you would:

  • Use a smoking cessation app for 8 weeks

  • Participate in 1 or 2 face-to-face meetings with study staff for smoking cessation support

  • Complete 4 online surveys

  • Complete 2 saliva tests to determine your smoking status

  • All procedures can be done in-person or remotely - whichever is best for you. We will provide nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) patches if you would like to use them. We will provide payment (up to $175) to complete study assessments (i.e., surveys and saliva tests).

If you are interested in participating, click the button below to fill out a contact form or call the study coordinator, Ms. Allison Futter, at (617) 724-3129. You may also email us at qns@mgh.harvard.edu.

Young Adults with Justice System Experience

Kent State University is conducting a research project that is interested in interviewing young adults who have been involved with the criminal justice system.

Details:

  • We are interviewing young adults who have been in the justice system (arrested, been to court, been incarcerated, etc.) to understand how these experiences affect becoming an adult

  • Must be aged 18-30

  • We are interested in adults who have had any involvement with the criminal justice system, whether it was the juvenile or adult system

  • Interviews are voice-recorded, virtual, and take 60-90 minutes

  • You will be compensated with a $25 gift card

If you are interested in participating, scan the QR code on the poster to the right to take a brief eligibility survey.

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LGBTQ+ Adults and Opioid Use Pilot Study

Researchers at the University of New Mexico Center on Alcohol, Substance use, And Addictions are doing a study about opioid use and health in LGBTQ+ adults.

To be eligible, you must:

  • Identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community

  • Use or be prescribed opioids

  • Be 18 years or older

  • Reside in the United States

For individuals that agree to participate, this study will involve a brief screening survey and a 60-minute survey for only those deemed eligible.

Participants have the potential to earn up to $20 in Amazon or Walmart gift cards for participating.

LGBTQ+ IMPOWR Pilot Study

ConnectionsRx: Study on Community Participation

ConnectionsRx, a program run by the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion, uses an intervention focused on increasing community participation of young adults with serious mental illnesses.
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You may be eligible to participate if you:

  • Are between the ages of 18 and 30

  • Have an SMI diagnosis (bipolar, major depression, or a schizophrenia spectrum disorder)

  • Have the ability to speak and understand English

  • Are willing to participate in a social media peer support and a distance-based community participation intervention

  • Have cell phone access

If you are eligible to participate, you will be asked to complete 3 research interviews, which will take approximately 60 minutes each. In appreciation of your time, you will receive a $30 gift card for each interview completed.

You may also be enrolled in a 6-month online program to support you with ideas and make plans to participate in more recreation in the community. The program has 1-on-1 phone call or video meetings with a recreational therapist every other week, and access to a peer support Discord group.

If you are interested in the research study or have any questions, please email connectionsrx@temple.edu or visit our website at the link below.