# A Unique, Co-Designed Family-Based Therapy for Marginalized Women with Opioid Use Disorder and Justice-Involvement

> **NIH NIH K23** · UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI · 2024 · $192,107

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Aaron Murnan, PhD, LMFT is a tenure-track assistant professor at University of Cincinnati's College of
Nursing. His career goal is to become an independent clinician-scientist with expertise in co-designing novel
interventions to address salient treatment needs among families disproportionately impacted by opioid use and
justice-involvement, specifically women in the sex trade. The term `co-design' refers to a community-based
participatory research methodology in which individuals with lived experience are engaged as study team
members to lend their hands-on expertise and thoroughly participate in the intervention development process.
Given well-documented risks associated with the sex trade and opioid use, as well as a lack of interventions
prospectively designed to address challenges experienced by this population, the current study represents a
critical next step towards promoting the health and well-being of women in the sex trade. The proposed five-
year Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23) will provide Dr. Murnan a perfect
opportunity to achieve his career goals through training in: 1) Community-Based Participatory Research; 2)
ADAPT-ITT substance use intervention adaptation methodologies; and 3) conducting research within the
criminal justice system. Dr. Murnan's proposed study aims to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of co-
designed family-based intervention offered as an adjunct to treatment diversion programming (offered through
the criminal justice system) using a pilot RCT design. In Aim 1, participant family dyads (n=15 women paired
with one supportive family member) will be recruited to explore intervention needs, motivations, and barriers
related to participating in family-based intervention, as well as delivery preferences. This information will be
used by the co-design team (individuals with lived experience, the PI, and other research personnel) to adapt a
family-based intervention manual. For Aim 2, additional family dyads (n=60) will be recruited to participate in a
randomized controlled trial in which they will be randomly assigned to one of two treatment arms: 1) co-
designed family-based intervention + diversion treatment programming or 2) diversion treatment programming
only. Feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of both interventions will be evaluated (Aim 2). Dr.
Melinda Butsch Kovacic, a leading expert in community-based participatory research, will serve as Dr.
Murnan's primary site mentor. Dr. Butsch Kovacic in conjunction with his co-mentors (Drs. Jennifer Brown and
Sarah Manchak) will provide him with necessary training in areas of community-based participatory research,
substance use intervention adaptation methodologies, and conducting research within the criminal justice
system, that will launch his independent research career as a clinician scientist with the requisite skills to
conduct high quality intervention research to promote be...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10865103
- **Project number:** 5K23DA058053-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI
- **Principal Investigator:** Aaron William Murnan
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $192,107
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-06-15 → 2028-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10865103

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10865103, A Unique, Co-Designed Family-Based Therapy for Marginalized Women with Opioid Use Disorder and Justice-Involvement (5K23DA058053-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10865103. Licensed CC0.

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