Improving in-reach reentry care coordination for opioid use disorder through digital intervention

The National Institute on Drug Abuse awarded Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic $181,164 on September 1, 2026, under the Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs (CFDA 93.279) to support a K23 mentored career development award for Dr. Milan Satcher.

The award funds Dr. Satcher's training and research to develop her expertise as a clinician-investigator specializing in digital interventions that improve linkage to evidence-based treatments for adults with criminal legal involvement and opioid use disorder. Her work focuses on digital adaptations of the in-reach reentry care coordination model, which connects community providers with reentry staff and incarcerated individuals pre-release to facilitate post-release linkages to care and social resources.

Dr. Satcher's training plan includes four core areas: ethical digital health design and evaluation, implementation science and intervention adaptation, integrated mixed-methods research for hybrid trials, and professional development skills for research independence. She receives mentorship from experts in addiction, health services research, digital health, implementation science, dissemination, engineering, community-engaged research, and ethics, along with advisors with lived experience of substance use and incarceration. Training occurs through individualized mentoring, formal coursework, seminars, national conference participation, and a proposed research project developing and assessing the digital adaptation.

Performance occurs in Lebanon, New Hampshire. The period of performance runs through August 31, 2031.

Abstract

This nida K23 mentored career development award will equip DR. Milan satcher with the training and research experiences needed to become a high-impact independent clinician-investigator specializing in digital interventions to improve linkage to evidence-based treatments and resources for adults with criminal legal involvement and opioid use disorder (CL-OUD). The proposal outlines a comprehensive plan for mentored career development training and research needed to achieve her career goals. DR. Satcher's mentorship team includes experts in addiction, health services research, digital health, implementation science and dissemination, engineering, community-engaged research, and ethics, along with advisors with lived experience of substance use and incarceration. This experienced team will cohesively support DR. Satcher's training in: (1) ethical digital health design and evaluation, (2) implementation science and intervention adaptation, (3) integrated mixed-methods research for hybrid trials, and (4) professional development skills for research independence. DR. Satcher will achieve these training aims through individualized mentoring, formal coursework, seminars, national conference participation, and a proposed research project to develop and assess a digital adaptation of the in-reach reentry care coordination model. Reentry poses a high-risk transition for individuals with OUD, with fatal opioid overdose rates up to 129 times greater than the general population's during the first two weeks post-release. The in-reach care coordination model, which connects community providers directly with reentry staff and incarcerated individuals pre-release, has shown effectiveness in facilitating post-release linkages to care and social resources. Although digital tools enhance care coordination in community settings, many carceral facilities still rely on outdated methods for reentry planning, resulting in poor communication and inefficient coordination. To scale in-reach care coordination and improve reentry outcomes for adults with CL-OUD, the proposed research aims to adapt the evidence-based in-reach care coordination model into a digital intervention using the adapt-ITT framework. The central hypothesis posits that a digital platform can effectively address workflow inefficiencies and enhance collaboration between carceral and community staff while engaging patients. Specific aims include: (1) identify barriers and facilitators for digital adaptation of in-reach reentry care coordination; (2) CO-design the digital adaptation to address barriers and facilitate linkage to office-based opioid treatment (OBOT) and social services; and (3) assess usability, acceptability, and feasibility of the digital adaptation. Data and skills gained through this K23 training will support DR. Satcher's first phased R proposal (e.g., R61/R33) to conduct a type 2 hybrid trial of the digital intervention. DR. Satcher's K23 training will occur at dartmouth health and dartmouth college, ensuring access to excellent research centers (e.g., center for technology & behavioral health) and resources to develop into an independent researcher improving health services and outcomes for populations with CL-OUD.