Support for people grieving a drug overdose loss
Official title: Leveraging a time-limited opportunity to study the impact of an intervention for individuals bereaved by drug overdose
Funded at Friends Research Institute, INC. · NIH-11267972 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project offers a short social-worker outreach program for adults who lost someone to a drug overdose to help with grief, health, and connections to services.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Friends Research Institute, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | February 1, 2025 |
| Project end | January 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $236,700 |
| NIH project number | 5R21DA062508-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11267972 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults aged 21 and older who were in the social network of someone who died from a drug overdose handled by the New York City OCME are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People who were bereaved by non-overdose deaths, live outside the NYC OCME catchment, or decline outreach are unlikely to receive benefit from this program.
What this research studies
If you lost a family member, friend, or close peer to a drug overdose in New York City, trained social workers may reach out to offer the SWORD program. SWORD is delivered in five short modules that cover practical bereavement tasks, emotional support, help with substance use concerns, physical and mental health needs, and links to social services. The outreach uses motivational interviewing and other evidence-based supports to connect people to resources and reduce risks after loss. The program was rolled out by the NYC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and is being expanded so more grieving network members can be reached.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could reduce severe grief and related health or substance-use risks by connecting bereaved adults to timely support and services.
How similar studies have gone: Social-worker outreach and motivational interviewing have helped other grieving or at-risk groups before, but using the specific SWORD model for overdose bereavement is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Friends Research Institute, INC.
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hochstatter, Karli Rae — Friends Research Institute, INC.
- Study coordinator: Hochstatter, Karli Rae
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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.