Schedule: 3-5 hours weekly
Location: Remote
Salary: $20-$22 hourly
Requirements:
- Personal lived experience with opioid use disorder (OUD), chronic pain, and taking buprenorphine (currently or previously)
- Comfortable talking about personal experience with OUD, chronic pain, and buprenorphine treatment
- Successful self-management of chronic pain and OUD
- Comfortable speaking in front of a group
- Access to internet
- No professional experience needed
About the Role:
The role of the Peer Facilitator is to lead weekly or bi-weekly support groups with study participants who are being treated for opioid use disorder and chronic pain. Group sessions will take place remotely either via Zoom or phone call. The Peer Facilitator will encourage discussion, help members navigate conflict, and offer support from a perspective of successful pain and OUD management. They will also be expected to conduct reminder calls, take notes, and complete light documentation after group sessions. Additionally, Peer Facilitators will attend meetings and training with members of the study team.
About the Study:
Retention in treatment is one of the most critical problems facing patients in office-based addiction treatment, and strategies to improve retention are urgently needed. Pain is not typically addressed in OUD treatment even though most patients with OUD have chronic pain and undermanaged pain is an important factor in return to use.
This study combines a Pain Self-Management behavioral intervention with patient-oriented dosing of buprenorphine to test the hypothesis that treating pain and OUD at the same time will improve pain outcomes and help people stay engaged with addiction treatment.
About TREETOP:
The Tailored Retention and Engagement for Equitable Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder and Pain (TREETOP) Research Center is part of the University of Pittsburgh Center for Research on Healthcare and is funded by the National Institutes of Health. TREETOP works on developing effective, equitable, and sustainable interventions for chronic pain and OUD with a focus on health equity.
To apply for this position, please email us at TREETOP@pitt.edu.
This position participates in evidence-based clinical programming and provides extensive technical assistance to clinical staff. Develops therapeutic treatment plans, behavioral interventions, and research and program assessments. Provides individual and group therapy sessions.
For more information or to apply for this position, please go to Pitt's Talent Center Job Page.