# CE23-002 - Assessing the Impact of Overdose Prevention Centers as a Polysubstance Use and Behavioral Health Intervention in New York City

> **NIH ALLCDC K01** · NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · 2024 · $149,998

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
The overdose epidemic continues unabated in the United States. Changes to the drug supply and increases in
stimulant-involved overdose deaths have shifted what was an opioid overdose epidemic to a polysubstance
overdose epidemic. Over half of overdose deaths nationally now involve multiple substances, leading some
researchers to identify the current polysubstance era as the epidemic’s “fourth wave.” Increases in polysubstance
use (PSU) and PSU overdose pose a host of challenges for practitioners and researchers to address. Knowing
whether and to what extent emerging harm reduction interventions can reduce PSU-involved overdose risk is
critical for public health authorities and service providers. Overdose prevention centers (OPCs), community-
based facilities at which individuals consume pre-obtained controlled substances under the supervision of trained
staff who can intervene in event of an overdose, are one such intervention. Over 200 OPCs operate globally, but
the first two publicly recognized OPCs in the United States opened in New York City in 2021. OPCs in other
countries are associated with reduced fatal and non-fatal overdose risk and reduced emergency service
utilization. However, prior research has not assessed the impact of OPC use on overdose risk among PSU-
involved populations. In addition, concurrent mental health disorders remain a critical yet underexplored risk
factor for PSU overdose and other harms, yet studies to date have not assessed the association between OPC
use and mental health outcomes, despite estimates suggesting a high untreated mental health burden among
OPC clients. As such, the objective of this K01 proposal is to address these critical research gaps to: (1) identify
heterogeneous impacts of OPC use on non-fatal and fatal overdose risk among individuals engaging in PSU; (2)
estimate the impact of OPC use on treated psychiatric events among clients with PSU; and (3) assess the needs
of harm reduction providers to integrate mental health services into existing syringe service and OPC delivery
models, with a particular focus on the needs of PSU-involved populations. The research plan is bolstered by an
exceptional mentorship team and training plan. The proposed project builds on the candidate’s background in
substance use epidemiology and data science and provides new training in several areas: (1) novel statistical
methods for the identification of heterogeneous treatment effects of OPC use on overdose risk among PSU-
involved individuals; (2) psychiatric epidemiology and the complex relationship between mental health,
substance use disorders, and PSU; and (3) implementation science to conceptualize and evaluate novel
integrated behavioral health care models for PSU-involved populations. The combined research and training
plan will enable the candidate to transition into an independent researcher of policy-relevant social and
behavioral factors that shape overdose risk. This research align...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10917006
- **Project number:** 5K01CE003586-02
- **Recipient organization:** NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** Bennett Allen
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** ALLCDC
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $149,998
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-09-30 → 2025-09-29

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10917006

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10917006, CE23-002 - Assessing the Impact of Overdose Prevention Centers as a Polysubstance Use and Behavioral Health Intervention in New York City (5K01CE003586-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10917006. Licensed CC0.

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