Recovery community centers to help people on medications for opioid use disorder stay in care
Planning grant for a multi-site trial to examine the effectiveness of recovery community centers serving the most impactful communities to support persons using medications for opioid use disorder
This project plans to see whether recovery community centers help people taking medications for opioid use disorder remain engaged in treatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11364698 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient perspective, the team is preparing a large multi-site effort to study recovery community centers (RCCs) that provide peer-based, long-term support for people using FDA-approved medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). Over the grant they will run three preparatory studies to refine the trial design, test recruitment and measurement approaches, and work out logistics across communities with high unmet need. The work will involve partnering with RCCs and people on MOUD to gather practical information that shapes a later full-scale trial. The planning is meant to make the eventual larger study fair, feasible, and focused on outcomes that matter to patients.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates for the later trial would be people with opioid use disorder who are starting or currently using FDA-approved medications (such as buprenorphine, methadone, or naltrexone) and are willing to engage with recovery community center services.
Not a fit: People who are not using MOUD, who have primary non-opioid substance use concerns, or who do not want peer-based recovery supports are unlikely to benefit from this approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to services that help people on MOUD stay on medication longer and improve recovery outcomes.
How similar studies have performed: Recovery community centers are a promising model but rigorous empirical evidence is limited, so this planning work addresses a gap rather than building on many definitive trials.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Massachusetts General Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hoeppner, Bettina B. — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Hoeppner, Bettina B.
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 below.