# Leveraging Implementation Science to Increase Access to Trauma Treatment for Incarcerated Drug Users

> **NIH NIH K23** · UNIV OF ARKANSAS FOR MED SCIS · 2020 · $147,310

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
The unmet need for effective addiction treatment within the criminal justice system “represents a significant
opportunity to intervene with a high-risk population” according to NIDA's 2016-2020 strategic plan. The plan
also encourages the development and evaluation of implementation strategies that address the needs of the
criminal justice system. This Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23) will
prepare the applicant with the skills necessary to launch an independent research program focused examining
implementation strategies to support the uptake of evidence-based mental health interventions for incarcerated
substance users. The applicant's training goals are as follows: 1) develop expertise in implementation science
research methods, 2) increase knowledge relevant to interventions for substance users, and 3) enhance skills
necessary for a successful research career. These training goals will be achieved through a combination of
mentored research and study, didactic and experiential learning, and intensive externship training. Because
severe trauma exposure, substance use, and justice-involvement overwhelmingly co-occur in prison
populations, the applicant's research plan will aim to advance knowledge on implementation of a gold-standard
psychotherapy for trauma, Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), in the prison setting. She will also examine
whether prison-delivered CPT reduces drug use, psychiatric symptoms, and recidivism. The three specific
aims in this research are: 1) Use formative evaluation to identify factors that may influence implementation and
uptake of CPT in prisons, 2) Adapt CPT for incarcerated drug users and develop a facilitation-based
implementation guide to support its uptake, and 3) conduct a participant-randomized Hybrid II trial to assess
effectiveness and implementation outcomes of CPT with incarcerated drug users. If found to be effective, wide-
scale implementation of CPT may improve the health of over 1.7 million incarcerated Americans who have co-
occurring substance use and trauma exposure.
The work proposed in this application will be conducted at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, a
rich context for early stage investigators, under the guidance of mentoring from the following national experts:
Drs. JoAnn Kirchner and Geoffrey Curran for implementation science, Dr. Nickolas Zaller for drug use and its
overlap with the criminal justice system, and Dr. Debra Kaysen for CPT and its adaptation in low-resource
contexts and with substance users. At its conclusion, the applicant will have progressed toward her goal of
becoming a criminal justice implementation scientist by 1) advancing foundational knowledge on CPT
implementation within the criminal justice system and effectiveness as treatment for addiction and 2) publishing
research on application of implementation science in criminal justice settings.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9895680
- **Project number:** 5K23DA048162-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF ARKANSAS FOR MED SCIS
- **Principal Investigator:** Melissa Jean Zielinski
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $147,310
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-04-01 → 2024-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9895680

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9895680, Leveraging Implementation Science to Increase Access to Trauma Treatment for Incarcerated Drug Users (5K23DA048162-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9895680. Licensed CC0.

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