The mission of Substance use Training and Research (STAR) Lab is to advance the field of substance use prevention, treatment and recovery through rigorous research related to comprehensive workforce development efforts and clinically oriented research. We are committed to:

• Serving as a systemic, interdisciplinary hub for clinically oriented research and workforce development efforts related to substance use and related disorders (SUDS) across the lifespan.
• Providing special attention to developmental considerations when examining SUD workforce development and clinical interventions.
• Paying special attention to the ripple effect impacts of substance use on family, larger systems and specific developmental periods, including young adulthood, couples and aging.
• Integrating interprofessional training and trauma-informed care principles in all aspects of lab-based scholarship.

Principal Investigator

Rikki Patton, PhD
Research Professor - Counseling and Family Therapy

Health Sciences Building, 11th Floor
60 N. 36th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104

Phone: 267.359.5528
Email: rap362@drexel.edu

Publications

Google Scholar

Research on Workforce Development Efforts

Rikki Patton, PhD, co-led the federally-funded Opioid Workforce Enhancement Program Interprofessional Training Initiative (ITI), alongside the lab led by Jessica Chou, PhD, between 2018-2023. ITI focused on examining processes and outcomes related to training marriage and family therapy trainees and clinical mental health trainees on working with youth and families impacted by opioid use disorder. We are continuing to finalize data analysis and dissemination of this project.

Patton also completed the Addiction Treatment Counts Interdisciplinary Training (ACE-IT) project between 2019-2022, which focused on training behavioral health care provider trainees on utilizing screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment (SBIRT in practice). Results from this project are published in Families, Systems, & Health.

We continue to seek funding opportunities that will support ongoing efforts in examining processes and outcomes that support healthy workforce development within the substance use field. We recently submitted a grant aimed to examine the feasibility and acceptability of stigma reduction intervention among health care providers and are currently working on developing a grant protocol focused on substance use disorder (SUD) workforce development and trauma-informed care efforts.

Clinical Research Efforts

Patton works as part of collaborative team in co-leading the implementation of a SAMHSA-funded project aimed at assessing the implementation of screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment (SBIRT) in primary care, school and community settings. This project will continue through 2026.

Additionally, Patton continues collaborative efforts on examining trauma-informed care implementation across professional sectors that engage with people impacted by substance use disorder. We are aiming to submit for collaborative grant funding to support additional work in this arena.

Doctoral Students

• Grant Morales

Internal Collaborators

• The CATER Team
• Phyllis Swint, PhD, and members of the Contextual Therapy Work Group

External Collaborators

• Gwenn Swift, Corporate Director of Family Services, Promises Behavioral Health
• Heather Katafiasz, Associate Professor, University of Akron
• John Ellis, Professor, University of Akron