Improving access to medications for opioid use disorder among unhoused individuals in Montana
Official title: Counteracting Structural Barriers to Increase Access to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) Among Unhoused Montanans
Funded at Open Aid Alliance · NIH-11167942 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking to help people in Montana who are experiencing homelessness and struggling with opioid use by trying out new ways to make it easier for them to get the medications they need, with support from nurses and peers at local health programs.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Open Aid Alliance NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Missoula, United States) |
| Project start | September 22, 2023 |
| Project end | September 21, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $375,000 |
| NIH project number | 3OT2OD035589-01S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11167942 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are unhoused individuals in Montana who are struggling with opioid use disorder.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are housed or do not have opioid use disorder may not receive benefits from this research.
What this research studies
This research aims to address the significant barriers that unhoused individuals in Montana face in accessing medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). By implementing three evidence-based interventions, including care based in syringe service programs, a nurse-led model, and peer navigator support, the project seeks to enhance treatment engagement among this vulnerable population. The study will take place at multiple syringe service program sites across urban and rural areas, including those near American Indian Reservations, and will track various measures of treatment engagement and success.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could significantly increase access to life-saving medications for individuals struggling with opioid use disorder who are unhoused.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown success with similar interventions aimed at increasing access to care for underserved populations, indicating a promising approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Open Aid Alliance
Missoula, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ramos, Rebecca — Open Aid Alliance
- Study coordinator: Ramos, Rebecca
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Systems analysis to improve opioid use disorder care after jail release (SAIA-MOUD)
A program to help people with opioid use disorder get better, faster, and safer care after they leave jail.
-
Precise epigenetic drugs for opioid addiction
A tiny, targeted drug approach is being developed to help people with opioid use disorder by rewriting the epigenetic signals in the brain to reduce cravings and relapse risk.
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Increasing Access to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder for Unhoused Montanans
This project helps unhoused people in Montana get life-saving medicines for opioid use disorder through clinics connected to syringe service programs, a nurse-led MOUD model, and peer support.
-
Optimizing long-acting PrEP and opioid treatment for people in jails and prisons
This project tests a real-world approach to using long-acting PrEP and buprenorphine for HIV prevention and opioid treatment among incarcerated individuals and after release.
-
Scaling up medications for opioid use disorder in residential treatment programs
This grant studies how to help residential treatment programs provide medications for opioid use disorder to reduce overdoses after discharge, focusing on real-world settings and policies.
-
Increasing Capacity at a Native Community Clinic to Improve Opioid Care for urban AI/AN
This grant helps a Native American health clinic build its research capacity to better serve urban American Indian and Alaska Native people dealing with opioid use disorder and related health issues.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.