Grant: CIHR New Investigator

In Canada, substance use disorders are primary drivers of preventable diseases, such as HIV and hepatic diseases, and have a total societal cost of approximately $23 billion annually. In response to the health and social burden of substance use disorders, many jurisdictions are scaling up substance use treatment programs and beginning to implement evidence-based practices in Addiction Medicine in acute and community care settings. The proposed program of research seeks to generate policy and practice-relevant evidence to inform the optimization of substance use treatment. To accomplish this goal, community-based and qualitative studies will be implemented in connection with the newly-launched British Columbia Addiction Network to: (1) examine how policy and regulatory changes impact access and engagement with substance use treatment; (2) understand factors that influence the implementation of evidence-based practices in Addiction Medicine in acute and community care settings; and, (3) explore the impact of newly-implemented approaches to the management of substance use disorders on people who use drugs. Building upon extensive relationships with stakeholders, including governments, health authorities, and community-based organizations, this program of research is well positioned to translate research findings into improvements in substance use treatment.