University of Kentucky
Center on Drug and Alcohol Research
Monthly Report
March 2009
Grants
Dr. Walsh was a co-investigator along with Dr. Martha Wunsch on an internal grant submitted to the
CDART.
Dr. Carl Leukefeld served as Peer Reviewer, Special Emphasis Panel/Scientific Review Group (ZDA1
LXF-L 01) NIH, National institute on Drug Abuse, March 30, 2009.
Dr. Carl Leukefeld attended CJDATS Steering Committee Meeting in Bethesda, MD, March 10-11.
On March 12, 2009 Barbara Ramlow submitted a proposal to the Cabinet for Health and Family
Services, Department for Community Based Services, to establish a new Targeted Assessment
Program (TAP) site in Muhlenberg County. The proposal was approved effective April 1, 2009. This
no-cost expansion brings the total number of Kentucky counties served by TAP to 33.
Barbara Ramlow worked with the Department for Community Based Services (DCBS) and Division of
Mental Health and Substance Abuse to propose a process through which the Targeted Assessment
Program serves as a gateway for access to surplus substance abuse treatment funding for eligible lowincome parents in need of treatment through June 30, 2009. DCBS approved the proposal. TAP is
responsible for assessment, referral, pre-treatment, case coordination, and follow-up as well as
tracking and reporting to the Division of Substance Abuse and DCBS.
Journals/Publications
Wunsch, M.J., Nakamoto, K., Nuzzo P.A., Behonick G., Masselo W. and Walsh S.L. Prescription Drug
Fatalities among Women in Rural Virginia:
A Study of Medical Examiner Cases, submitted to Journal of Opioid Management.
Leukefeld, C.G., Staton Tindall, M., Oser, C.B., Stoops, W.W., Mosher, J. (2009). Drug and alcohol
issues in Public Health. In F.D. Scutchfield and C.W. Keck (Eds.), Principles of Public Health Practice
(pp. 492-515). Delmar, Cengage Learning: Clifton Park, NY.
Hiller, M.L., Narevic, E., Webster, J.M., Rosen, P., Staton, M., Leukefeld, C., Garrity, T.F., and Kayo, R.
(2009). Problem severity and motivation for treatment in incarcerated substance abusers. Substance
Use & Misuse, 44, 28-41.
Knudsen, Hannah K., Studts, Jamie L., & Boyd, Sara. Smoking Cessation Practices in Community
Treatment Programs: Project Report. Available online at
http://cdar.uky.edu/Downloads/Smoking%20Cessation%20Practices%20in%20Community%20Treat
ment%20Programs%20Project%20Report%20Merged.pdf
Oser, C., Biebel, E., Havens, R., Staton-Tindall, M., Knudsen, H., Mooney, J., & Leukefeld, C. Inmate
Pre-release Assessment (IPASS) aftercare placement recommendation as a predictor of rural inmate’s
12-step attendance and treatment entry post-release. Under review at the Journal of Offender
Rehabilitation.
Editorial and Reviews
Hannah Knudsen reviewed a manuscript for the Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research.
Carrie Oser reviewed a manuscript for Addiction Research and Theory as well as for Crime and
Delinquency.
Dr. Michelle Lofwall Reviewed paper for Drug and Alcohol Dependence
Jennifer Havens reviewed manuscripts for Drug and Alcohol Dependence, Harm Reduction Journal,
American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and International Journal Offender Therapy
Comparative Criminology.
Training
Erin McNees conducted CJKTOS trainings/site visits during the month of March at the
following: Hope Center Detention Program in Lexington, KY; Luther Luckett Correctional
Complex in LaGrange, KY; Breckinridge County Detention Center in Hardinsburg, KY;
Grayson County Detention Center in Leitchfield, KY; and Boyd County Detention Center in
Catlettsburg, KY.
Kentucky Policy Making Bodies and Advisory Boards
Kim Griswold Dotson traveled to Bardstown, KY on March 3, 2009 to facilitate the Nelson County
Targeted Assessment Program Advisory Council meeting.
Stephanie Ratliff traveled to Hazard, KY on March 5, 2009 to facilitate a meeting of the Perry and
Breathitt County Targeted Assessment Program Advisory Council.
Renee Edington facilitated a meeting of the Pike County Targeted Assessment Program Advisory
Council in Pikeville, KY on March 17, 2009.
On March 19, 2009, Renee Edington co-facilitated a meeting of the newly formed “Martin Countians
for Safe and Healthy Families” which serves as an advisory council for both the Targeted Assessment
Program and Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Teams (K-START) project.
Stephanie Ratliff traveled to Paintsville, KY on March 24, 2009 to facilitate a meeting of the Floyd and
Johnson County Targeted Assessment Program Advisory Council.
Barbara Ramlow traveled to Frankfort, KY on March 26, 2009 to participate in a meeting of the Child
and Family Services Community Stakeholders Advisory Group convened by the Department for
Community Based Services.
Information, Education and Consultation
Dr. Walsh served as Chair of a Data Safety Monitoring Board for an ongoing clinical trial of modafinil
for smoking conducted by Dr. Catherine Martin in the Department of Psychiatry.
Dr. Walsh was invited to serve on a review committee for this year’s NIDA Avant Garde Awards.
Barbara Ramlow, Carl Leukefeld and Erik Carlton submitted the Title IV-B Children and Family
Services Plan 2009 Annual Progress and Services Report on the Targeted Assessment Program to the
DCBS Division of Protection and Permanency on March 30, 2009.
Dr. Michelle Lofwall gave two medical student lectures on Substance Use Disorders on 3/9/09
Dr. Michelle Lofwall gave one physician assistant student lecture on Substance Use Disorders on
3/5/09
Dr. Michelle Lofwall served Moc Psychiatry Board Training Examiner 3/18/09
Dr. Michelle Lofwall served Psychiatry resident supervision two hours/week throughout month of
March
Dr. Michelle Lofwall attended Good Sam Consultation 3/26/09
Manuscripts
Staton-Tindall, M., McNees, E., Leukefeld, C., Walker, R., Thompson, L., Pangburn, K., &
Oser, C. (2009). Systematic outcomes research for corrections-based treatment:
Implications from the Criminal Justice Kentucky Treatment Outcome Study. Submitted to
the Journal of Offender Rehabilitation.
Media
Hannah Knudsen’s article on adolescent substance abuse treatment services (published in the March
2009 issue of Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment) was highlighted on UK’s News webpage as well
as in the College of Medicine’s Dean’s Newsletter and the Kentucky Kernel. She was interviewed for an
article that appeared in the March 16 issue of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Weekly. Descriptions of her
research findings were posted on a variety of websites including Reuters.com, Fox News.com, Yahoo!
News, MSN.com’s Health page, Forbes.com, Join Together.org, Medical News Today.com, BHC Journal,
AddictionPro.com, and e! Science News.
Meetings on Substance Abuse
Dr. Walsh met with Dr. Nora Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse and Dr. Tim
Condon, Deputy Director NIDA, to discuss the stimulus package and the potential merger between
NIDA and NIAAA in Bethesda, MD.
Dr. Walsh chaired a meeting of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence Executive Committee.
Hannah Knudsen attended the Steering Committee meeting of the National Drug Abuse Treatment
Clinical Trials Network (CTN) on March 24-26 in Bethesda, MD. She was a co-author on a presentation
to the Steering Committee about the impact of the CTN on the adoption of treatment innovations.
Barbara Ramlow traveled to Ashland, KY on March 4, 2009 to participate in the DCBS-TAP-Pathways
Substance Abuse Initiative Steering Committee meeting and Intensive Outpatient Program Direct Line
meeting.
Stephanie Ratliff and Renee Edington traveled to Hazard, KY on March 4, 2009 to attend the Families
in Safe Homes Network (FISHN) Operation Team Meeting.
Barbara Ramlow and Tee Ellerbe traveled to Louisville, KY on March 9, 2009 to participate in the
Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Team (START) monthly Direct Line meeting.
Barbara Ramlow and Jill Gay participated in the Kenton County Child Maltreatment Prevention and
Substance Abuse Early Intervention - Kenton County START - Advisory Group meeting on February
23, 2009.
Carrie Oser, Jenny Mooney, and Rob Seaver attended the Black Women’s Conference on “Cruel and
Unusual Punishment: Black Women in Correctional Settings” at the University of Kentucky on March
26-27, 2009.
Dr. Michelle Lofwall attended Kentucky American Society for Addiction Medicine Meeting 3/24/09
Jennifer Havens attended the International Network for Social Network Analysis Sunbelt Conference
from March 11 - 14 in San Diego, CA.
Presentations
An abstract was submitted for the Late-Breaking Session for the upcoming CPDD meeting:
Lofwall M.R. , Wunsch M. J., Walsh S.L. Pharmacy willingness to conduct random buprenorphine pill
counts for office-based opioid dependence treatment practices
Edwards, LN, Fink III JL, Staton-Tindall M, Leukefeld CG. “Nonprescription Access to Syringes and
Needles in Kentucky: A Rural Challenge? – presented at the 156th American Pharmacists Association
Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX, April 3-6, 2009
Tee Ellerbe traveled to the Neighborhood House in Louisville, KY on March 13, 2009 to conduct two
sessions of a workshop for the Mother’s Day Out program sponsored by Louisville Metro Community
Partners. The presentation, ‘Post-partum Depression and Self-care’ was provided to nineteen (19)
pregnant, low-income participants.
Erin McNees presented “Criminal Justice Kentucky Treatment Outcome Study (CJKTOS)
N=350 FY2007 Follow-up Report.” Presented at the Kentucky Department of Corrections
Statewide Treatment Provider Meeting. Kentucky State Reformatory. LaGrange, KY. March
19, 2009.
Jennifer Havens gave a lecture at the University of California, San Diego in the Division of Global
Health entitled “Behavioral Research on HIV and other Blood-Borne Infections among Rural
Appalachian Drug Users” on March 12, 2009.
Awards
Other
Renee Edington traveled to Hazard, KY on March 6, 2009 to facilitate a regional case conference with
Targeted Assessment Specialists from Pike, Pulaski, Laurel, Martin, Knott and Letcher Counties. Erik
Carlton also participated in this meeting.
Dia Booth Ling facilitated a case conference with the Daviess, Hardin, Henderson, McLean, Nelson and
Ohio County Targeted Assessment Specialists in Shepherdsville, KY on March 9, 2009.
Beth Wahler traveled to Madisonville, KY on March 12, 2009 to facilitate the Western Kentucky Case
Conference with TAP staff from Hopkins, Christian, and McCracken Counties.
Stephanie Ratliff facilitated a case conference with TAP staff from Breathitt, Fayette, Floyd, Johnson,
Lee, Madison, Magoffin, Owsley, Perry, and Rowan Counties on March 16, 2009. Erik Carlton also
participated in the case conference.
Erik Carlton attended Advanced Leadership training at the University of Kentucky March 17-21, 2009.
Renee Edington traveled to Hazard, KY on March 24, 2009 to participate in the Families in Safe Homes
Network (FISHN) Operation Team Meeting.
Barbara Ramlow traveled to Covington, KY on March 30, 2009 to participate in a monthly Child
Maltreatment Prevention and Substance Abuse Early Intervention – START Kenton County community
partner meeting.