$909K NIH Grant to Advance Work on Substance Use Among Rural Maryland Youth

A University of Maryland researcher plans to expand and deepen his work in rural Maryland combating substance use, supported by a new grant of $909,084 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Noah Triplett, an assistant professor of behavioral and community health, will work with school and community partners on the Eastern Shore to examine how external behavioral health services can be effectively integrated into school settings and sustained over time. They will identify opportunities to improve current services and also test strategies to expand service reach and effectiveness. 

The five-year award is part of the National Institutes of Health’s Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) initiative, aimed at speeding scientific solutions to the opioid public health crisis. 

“Rural youth face unique risks for substance use and also have unique challenges to accessing services,” said Triplett. “If we can improve the reach and effectiveness of the services that do exist in these communities, we can hopefully make a lasting impact on the mental health and substance use of these youth.”