Five interviews with authors of abstracts at the Together for Hope 2026 conferenceFive interviews with authors of abstracts at the Together for Hope 2026 conference
Behind the Evidence
Marc Larochelle speaks with five researchers presenting at the Together for Hope conference about harm reduction, housing, overdose prevention, HIV prevention and youth psychosis care. Their conversations highlight how community-based projects are reshaping addiction services and exposing gaps in current systems.
39:14•26 Jun 2026
Research on the Frontlines: Five Fresh Looks at Addiction Care and Recovery
Episode Overview
- Street opioid samples in western Massachusetts typically contain multiple substances, with a stable “core cast” of drugs that appear together and shape overdose risk and drug effects.
- Low-threshold, harm reduction–focused shelters without abstinence requirements can move a substantial proportion of guests into permanent housing, but people still need life skills and social support to remain housed.
- A peer-run overdose prevention centre in Rhode Island has safely managed hundreds of overdoses, often using hydration, monitoring and oxygen rather than large naloxone doses.
- People who inject opioids show significant interest in long-acting injectable HIV PrEP, especially those already familiar with oral PrEP, while many are already engaged in MOUD.
- A community-based coordinated specialty care model for youth with psychosis and substance use is reaching mostly young, publicly insured Black patients, though onset of psychosis often predates engagement in care by several years.
“Overdose happens in a continuum, and there's actually a lot of opportunities to intervene and avert the overdose.”
Get ready to be moved by real-life accounts of how research, harm reduction, and housing policy come together in addiction care. The episode follows co-host Marc Larochelle on the floor of the Together for Hope conference in Boston, where he chats with five presenters whose work spans drug checking, housing, overdose prevention, HIV prevention, and youth mental health. Harm reductionist **Kyle/Kyla Harrington** kicks things off with a drug checking project from western Massachusetts.
Instead of focusing on single substances like fentanyl, they mapped how drugs appear together in street samples. On average, so-called fentanyl or heroin samples contained about eight substances. As they put it, there was a “recurring cast of characters”, which helped their team “grasp the mixture with a bit more clarity” and give people more realistic information about what they’re using.
Next, **Shivangi Singh** and **Jeff Demare** talk about low-threshold shelters in Boston and what happens when guests move into permanent housing. Their work highlights that 42% of guests were housed, many saw better health and less drug use, but still faced loneliness and risk of eviction.
Shivangi points out the gap: “Maybe a lot of resources are focused on post-housing case management… but how are we making them housing-ready at the shelter?” Addiction physician **Dr Miriam Harris** shares early results from Rhode Island’s state-sanctioned overdose prevention centre, where peer staff have overseen over 11,000 visits and 203 overdose events. She stresses that “overdose happens in a continuum”, showing how basic tools like hydration, oxygen and monitoring can avert crises without heavy-handed naloxone use.
The episode rounds out with **Sarah Miller** on long-acting HIV PrEP and MOUD for people who inject opioids, and **Morgan Ellis** on a community-based programme for young people with psychosis and frequent substance use. If you’re curious how research can directly shift frontline addiction care, this one gives you plenty to chew on. Which of these projects speaks most to your work or recovery journey?
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