​Following an international review, CIHR has approved a proposal submitted by the CRISM network for a 5-year directed grant addressing the opioid emergency. The submission to CIHR was to develop and execute an implementation science program in four thematic areas that have high potential for reducing the individual and population burden of opioid use.
The research themes were developed as priority areas for the research program by the CRISM NPIs, relying on select consultation with CIHR and CRISM members. Because of the very short timeline set by CIHR for response to the RFA, and with their approval, the proposal merely provides a rationale for each theme as well as key implementation research priorities, but does not provide detailed descriptions of specific projects or study protocols. CRISM’s intention is to use the process of identifying and developing protocols for specific projects within the approved research themes as an opportunity to engage CRISM members. The registration form that was circulated to CRISM members was designed to allow CRISM members from across the country to declare their interest in leading and/or collaborating within these research themes. Our goal in soliciting member interest was to assemble regional and national teams of interested researchers, practitioners, and decision-makers to develop specific projects within these thematic areas.
Twelve projects were identified and each of the 4 CRISM Nodes will be responsible for coordinating three of the 12 projects. Projects were allocated to ensure that each Node coordinates projects of roughly equal size and scope. The projects are:
Ontario Node Facilitation
Detoxification and Withdrawal Management | Naloxone Distribution | Correctional Populations
Prairie Node Facilitation
Treatment of Opioids in Psychosocial and Recovery-based Programs (TOPP) | Sharing Knowledge and Generating New Evidence to Support Implementation of Supervised Consumption Services in Canada (SCS) | Opioid-Agonist Therapy (OAT) Treatment Protocols/Standards/Strategies for Community-Based and Residential Treatment Centres Who Serve First Nations Clients Who Misuse Opioids
BC Node Facilitation
Expanding Access to Nurse-Led Models of Care | Injectable Opioid Agonist Treatment | Engaging with People with Lived Experience of Substance Use
Quebec-Atlantic Node Facilitation
Drug Checking | Expanding Buprenorphine/Naloxone Rapid Access in Emergency Departments | At-Risk Youth and Newer Users