ISU Awarded $1.1 Million Grant to Help Treat Opioid-use Disorder

The Idaho State University Department of Psychology has been awarded a $1.1 million federal grant that focuses on improving the prevention and treatment of opioid use disorder in Southeast Idaho.

Steve Lawyer, ISU psychology professor and director of clinical training and Samuel Peer, ISU assistant professor of psychology, are co-directors of the project.

First, they plan to provide special evidence-based and trauma-informed interdisciplinary care for substance abuse treatment develop the infrastructure in Southeast Idaho for telehealth and integrated behavioral health to help better treat opioid use disorder. As part of the grant, ISU researchers and students will also be working with community partners to create a telehealth system to treat opioid use disorder in rural Idaho.

“Our students will be learning how to work with people from other disciplines because if you are really going to treat opioid use disorder, you have to not only be a good therapist, you will have to have good working relationships with nurses, social workers, probation officers, and physicians,” Lawyer said. “But we’re also training those in other disciplines, like pharmacists and physicians, on how they can work with behavioral health services, too.”