# Community-based, client-centered prevention homes to address the rural opioid epidemic

> **NIH NIH UH3** · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · 2020 · $127,201

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
In response to NOT-DA-20-047, Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) regarding the Availability of Administrative
Supplements and Urgent Competitive Revisions for Research on the 2019 Novel Coronavirus, our research
team proposes increase our understanding of drug use and syringe sharing behaviors, overdose, impacts of
homelessness, and other potential barriers PWID face during COVID-19 by developing a phone based survey
among PWID who participated in the first phase of the Wisconsin Rural Opioid Initiative. The survey will be
embedded in our proposed virtual intervention adapted from our original proposal. Last, we will evaluate how
restricted operations at the SSP changed utilization of syringe services and assess the feasibility of the use of
at-home HIV and viral hepatitis testing and counseling by phone
Using the organizational infrastructure of our local SSP, Vivent Health, a geographically disperse population of
people who inject drugs in rural communities across Northern Wisconsin, we are building locally responsive
systems to facilitate uptake of evidence-based prevention services for high-risk clients. Understanding
information on how COVID-19 may change risk is needed to provide effective prevention and treatment to
PWID. The growing problem of opioid injection in rural Wisconsin is highly significant because it exemplifies
trends observed nationally indicating severe vulnerability to worsening epidemics of HIV, HCV, and opioid
overdose deaths in rural communities that are substantially underserved by evidence-based prevention
interventions.
This proposal is highly innovative because it will enable us to use an evidence-based intervention in a unique
way to reach clients during a global pandemic. Additionally, we have the ability to assess how the pandemic
will have long-term effects on people who inject drugs that will inform future interventions. It has potential for
high impact because of our team's state-wide reach, broad access to at-risk individuals, and robust
infrastructure for conducting a rigorous, multi-site evaluation of our proposed model.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10195260
- **Project number:** 3UH3DA044826-04S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON
- **Principal Investigator:** David W Seal
- **Activity code:** UH3 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $127,201
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2017-08-15 → 2022-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10195260

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10195260, Community-based, client-centered prevention homes to address the rural opioid epidemic (3UH3DA044826-04S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10195260. Licensed CC0.

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