Mia Navarro

All Publications

• Implementation Studies Funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse on Opioid and Stimulant Use Disorders Treatment: An Updated Mapping Review (2020-2024). Substance use & addiction journal Navarro, M. A., Chokron Garneau, H., Cheng, H., Kepner, W., Ramirez, F., Abdel Magid, M. S., McGovern, M. P. 2026: 29767342261484105

  Abstract

  While there is high demand for rapid translation of evidence-based innovations related to opioid and stimulant disorders, implementation research-proven to enhance utilization of evidence-based practices-comprises only a small portion of substance-related treatment studies.We conducted a mapping review of the National Institute on Drug Abuse investment in implementation-focused studies for opioid and stimulant use disorders treatment from 2020 through 2024. Replicating the same methodology, this review extends the work of Cheng et al. who examined funded studies on the same topic from 2015 to 2019. Data on opioid and stimulant addiction research studies were exported from the National Institutes of Health's Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools. Eligible studies specifically pertained to treatment and were categorized as Implementation Preparation, Implementation Research, or Not Implementation Research. Implementation Preparation and Research studies met inclusion criteria and underwent data extraction.Among 856 studies, 194 (22.7%) met eligibility criteria and 61 (7.1%) met inclusion criteria. The number of implementation-focused studies was 38.6% greater than found in the Cheng et al. review. Implementation-focused studies peaked in 2019 and 2022, coinciding with the start of the National Institutes of Health Helping to End Addiction Long-term® Initiative.Although there is a significant increase in the number of implementation-focused studies, there are missed opportunities for the application of implementation science within substance-related treatment research. To be specific, intervention development, efficacy, and effectiveness studies could be enhanced to the Implementation Preparation category, and Implementation Preparation studies elevated to the Implementation Research category. Without significant budget impact, these methodological enhancements could accelerate the pace at which effective interventions for opioid and stimulant use disorders achieve public health impact.

  View details for DOI 10.1177/29767342261484105

  View details for PubMedID 42773829

• Design of a cluster-randomized, hybrid type 1 effectiveness-implementation trial of a care navigation intervention to increase substance use disorder treatment engagement: study protocol. Addiction science & clinical practice Matson, T. E., Navarro, M. A., Idu, A., Bobb, J. F., Patrick, B. M., Phillips, R., Barrett, T. D., Rossi, F. S., Krawczyk, N., Doud, R., Rogers, K., Davis, C. J., Caldeiro, R., Glass, J. E. 2025; 20 (1): 78

  Abstract

  Practical and motivational barriers can deter people from engaging in substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, even those who seek treatment. Care navigation is a psychosocial intervention that seeks to facilitate patients' timely access to care by identifying and intervening upon barriers. Few trials have tested the effectiveness of care navigation when embedding in real-world healthcare, and no trials have studied the process of implementing care navigation into clinical practice. This protocol describes a study that will evaluate whether care navigation can increase treatment engagement among patients seeking SUD treatment.The Addressing Barriers to Care for Substance Use Disorder (ABC-SUD) study is a hybrid type I cluster-randomized effectiveness-implementation trial. It is conducted in a mental health access center of an integrated healthcare system in Washington state. Within this center, licensed mental health clinicians assess patient needs and use shared decision-making to establish SUD treatment plans for patients (usual care). This study tests whether an added care navigation intervention can improve patient engagement in SUD treatment. Care navigation begins after a treatment plan is made and provides up to 7 weeks of support focused on enhancing patient motivation to initiate and engage in treatment, problem-solving barriers (e.g., transportation logistics), and accommodating patient preferences (e.g., preferred language of care, cultural preferences). This trial uses a two period, two sequence crossover design. Clinicians are randomized to offer care navigation to patients during the first or second study period (i.e., clinicians are assigned to an initial study condition and switch conditions halfway through the trial). Care navigation is implemented with several strategies: leadership engagement, clinical workflow specifications, electronic health record (EHR) tools, training, performance improvement, and electronic learning collaborative. The primary outcome-obtained from EHRs and insurance claims-is engagement in SUD treatment, defined as ≥3 SUD treatment visits within 48 days of a treatment plan. This study uses standardized measures of implementation climate and outcomes to examine mechanisms with which the intervention strategies exert their impact on implementation and effectiveness outcomes.The ABC-SUD study will test whether care navigation improves SUD treatment engagement while concurrently generating information about its implementation in healthcare.This study was prospectively registered at www.gov (NCT06729957) on December 9, 2024.

  View details for DOI 10.1186/s13722-025-00605-7

  View details for PubMedID 41035041

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC12486859

• A National Snapshot of Training and Technical Assistance Needs Within the Mental Health Workforce. Psychiatric services (Washington, D.C.) Gotham, H. J., Benson, F., Canelo, R., Walker, E. R., Navarro, M., Clayton, C. N., Orobitg-Brenes, D., Carrión-González, I., Tomlin, K., Olson, J. R. 2024: appips20230602

  Abstract

  This report summarizes results from a national survey that aimed to assess the training and technical assistance needs of individuals who work in mental health.A survey was distributed to mental health workers by 10 regional centers of a large, nationwide, federally funded training and technical assistance network during January-October 2021.A total of 2,321 individuals from 58 states and territories responded to the survey. The three training and technical assistance needs they indicated most frequently were equitable and culturally responsive services, co-occurring mental and substance use disorders, and mental health awareness and literacy.The survey findings reflect the continued need to address inequities in mental health services, particularly for communities of color. In addition, a cluster of topics (i.e., mental health awareness and literacy, trauma-informed care, crisis services, grief, and provider well-being) stemmed from the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the nation's mental health.

  View details for DOI 10.1176/appi.ps.20230602

  View details for PubMedID 39257311