Left to right: Tisha Wiley, PhD, architect of JCOIN; Katherine B. McGuire, MSc, APA Chief Advocacy Officer; and Janan Wyatt, PhD, Inaugural Project Coordinator for JCOIN
On June 13, 2024, APA Chief Advocacy Officer Katherine B. McGuire, MSc, welcomed psychologists and stakeholders at the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s (NIDA) congressional briefing on the Justice Community Opioid Innovative Networkopens in new window (JCOIN), cohosted by the Bipartisan Mental Health & Substance Use Disorder Task Force and the Friends of NIDA. JCOIN connects investigators who collaborate with justice and behavioral health partners to study evidence-informed approaches for opioid use disorder (OUD) in justice settings. OUDs are highly prevalent among criminal justice populations. According to data from the U.S. Department of Justice, approximately half of state and federal prisoners meet criteria for substance use disorder.
JCOIN is funded by NIDA through the Helping to End Addiction Long-term® Initiative, or NIH heal Initiative®. NIH has funded 32 grants for this program, totaling $128.2 million, to support research activities over multiple years. JCOIN consists of research hubs and two centers providing supportive infrastructure. Through the research hubs, JCOIN addresses gaps in OUD treatment and related services in a wide range of criminal justice settings. JCOIN’s studies are particularly focused on ensuring continuity of care as individuals move between the criminal legal system and community-based services.
Presenters at the briefing included:
- psychologist Tisha Wiley, PhD, NIDA
- psychologist Lisa Marsch, PhD, Dartmouth College
- Peter Friedmann, MD, UMass Medical School–Baystate
- Joshua Lee, MD, New York University
- Michele Staton, PhD, University of Kentucky
Each presenter discussed a different aspect of the JCOIN program.
In her remarks, McGuire noted that “psychologists play an important role in addressing the epidemic, in part through educating and assisting families and loved ones, as well as intervening directly with those misusing opioids. Psychologists are involved in substance use disorder treatment, including behavioral interventions to ensure adherence to medication therapies, and evidence-based psychosocial interventions and the treatment of co-occurring conditions, such as anxiety, depression, and chronic pain. The research from JCOIN is beneficial to psychologists in justice settings.”
APA Services will continue to advocate for more funding for NIDA to support JCOIN, as well as explore flexible funding models for states to support opioid use prevention and treatment programs in justice settings.
For more information, contact Krysta Jones.
