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Overview

The Department of Public Health and Community Medicine is an academic department within the Tufts University School of Medicine located on the Health Sciences Campus in Boston. Technical and academic assets within the department provide a strong research support system for federally-funded research. Its 30 full-time faculty members hold advanced degrees in epidemiology, biostatistics, sociology, anthropology, law, medicine, nutrition, biology, engineering, health policy, economics, social policy, education, social work, and the behavioral sciences. Department research includes a focus on the following thematic areas: health equity, health communication, nutrition and infection, infectious disease epidemiology, health policy and health care delivery, environmental health, the opioid epidemic, and global health. Department faculty are methodologically strong and diverse, with expertise in biostatistics, survey research, program evaluation, qualitative methods, dietary assessment and spatial epidemiological analysis. 

A major driver of the U.S opioid crisis is limited access to effective medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) that reduce overdose. Traditionally, jails and prisons in the U.S. do not initiate or maintain MOUD for inmates with OUD prior to their return to the community, which places them at high risk for fatal overdose. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, overdose risk among former inmates has shown signs of increasing further. A 2019 law (“Chapter 208”) made Massachusetts (MA) the first state to mandate that five county jails deliver all FDA-approved MOUDs (extended-release naltrexone [XR-NTX] buprenorphine-naloxone [BUP-NX], and methadone). Chapter 208 establishes a 4-year pilot program to expand all FDA-approved forms of MOUD at five county jails; two more county jails in MA voluntarily joined this initiative. The law stipulates that MOUD be maintained in individuals receiving it prior to detention and initiated prior to release among sentenced inmates where appropriate. The seven jails must also facilitate continuation of the medication in the community on release. The Massachusetts Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network proposes to partner with these seven diverse jails and community treatment providers to conduct a Type 1 hybrid effectiveness-implementation study of Chapter 208. We will: (1) Perform a longitudinal treatment outcome study among inmates with OUD who receive MOUD, or no MOUD in jail utilizing MA’s powerful and innovative Public Health Data Warehouse, a collection of over two dozen linked state administrative data sets, to examine post-release MOUD initiation, engagement and retention, as well as fatal and non-fatal overdose and recidivism. (2) Conduct an implementation study that will incorporate qualitative and quantitative research methods to understand contextual factors that facilitate and impede delivery of MOUDs in jail and community care coordination, and best practice strategies that optimize MOUD delivery in jail and coordinated care with community partners. (3) Calculate the cost to the correctional system of implementing MOUD in jail, and conduct an economic evaluation from state-policymaker and societal perspectives to compare the value of MOUD prior to release from jail to no MOUD among matched controls. The Chapter 208 initiative has important implications for future policy and practice in the justice and OUD treatment systems at the local, state, and national levels. This study’s insights into Chapter 208’s implementation will inform the efficient development of future strategies to address OUDs in jail populations nationwide.

What You'll Do

• In collaboration with manager or director, participates in the development of goals, strategies and planning for the project. 


• Implements project plan assignments, ensuring employment of appropriate resources, and evaluating and reporting on progress to plan milestones.


• Assists project management with developing data collection and management systems. Oversees maintenance of data and data integrity.  Provides preliminary analysis of data.


• Participates in budget development. Prepares reports and projections.


• Writes and develops project promotional literature and materials. Writes and updates materials for website and may develop content for any social media efforts.


• Conducts project research assignments, drafting reports and results.


• May supervise student or temporary employees.


• Coordinates hiring and training of staff, and provides input into employee performance reviews.


• Assists project management with gathering data for developing additional grant funding proposals.

What We're Looking For

Basic Requirements:

• Bachelors degree preferred with 3-5 years research experience


• Must be comfortable working in a secure, correctional environment


• Solid computer skills and proficiency: Excel, PowerPoint, and Microsoft Word


• Careful attention to detail is essential


• Ability to think critically about data processes


• Some experience with qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis


• Must possess a valid driver’s license and be able and willing to travel throughout the state


• Ability to work successfully under pressure, understand and follow policies and procedures, and accommodate change


• Ability to take responsibility for assignments, work independently, and as part of a team, as well as delegate and track tasks for the team


• Ability to handle confidential materials with discretion


• Experience working with local and state public health officials and correctional partners

Preferred Qualifications:

• Knowledge of the criminal justice system and correctional facilities desired

Pay Range

Minimum $52,600.00, Midpoint $65,750.00, Maximum $78,900.00
 

Salary is based on related experience, expertise, and internal equity; generally, new hires can expect pay between the minimum and midpoint of the range.