Dr. Kasey Claborn, associate professor and director of the Addiction Research Institute, was recently named a Texas Changemaker by Texas Research.
As one of seven featured Changemakers across the Forty Acres, Dr. Claborn was recognized for how her research is “changing the way the community responds to the overdose and opioid crisis in Texas.” Her work in digital data, overdose responses and using information to address the opioid crisis in Texas were all cited in her selection.
“This recognition is a testament to hard and valuable work that’s done at the Addiction Research Institute to make our world better,” said Dr. Claborn. “The research that is done by social workers is of utmost importance to improving our communities. It is imperative that we continue to support and recognize research in this space to change lives, and to change the world.”
Dr. Claborn is evolving the use of overdose data by merging information from emergency responders with community data that is typically not captured by the health care system. Projects such as the digital platform Texans Connecting Overdose Prevention Efforts (TxCOPE) use the data to track the location of most frequent overdoses and the prevalence of certain drugs to help overdose agencies set up community-specific targeted plans of action and response efforts.
“Dr. Claborn could teach a masterclass on how to sincerely partner with community agencies to generate synergistic effects for common goals,” said Daniel Sledge, former lead outreach medic with the Round Rock Fire Department. “TxCOPE has already improved the way we provide care, and I’m confident that as the project continues to scale across the state, so, too will its impact on lives saved.”