Joseph Bartholomew addiction research published in Society for Social Work and Research

IU School of Social Work adjunct professor Joseph Bartholomew, MSW, LCSW, LCAC, is one of eight doctoral students whose policy briefs were selected to be published by the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) this month.

Bartholomew created the policy brief as part of SSWR’s Ph.D. Student Traineeship in Research Communication Program. The program trains Ph.D. students to communicate academic research to non-academic professional audiences.

In his brief, entitled “Treating Opioid Addiction: Improving Patient Health Outcomes with Medication-Assisted Treatment,” Bartholomew proposed a combination of medication, counseling, and behavioral therapy as an evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorder. He advised physicians to adopt medication-assisted treatment (MAT) as “a pathway towards increased comprehensive patient healthcare.” He also called upon professional medical societies to push for legislation that will remove barriers to MAT adoption.

Bartholomew is pursuing his Ph.D. at the IU School of Social Work and has taught at the school since 2018. His research focuses on addictions; interprofessional education (IPE); medication-assisted treatment (MAT); Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT); and translational research. His past work experience includes community mental health center clinical work, program development and evaluation, grant management, behavioral therapy, curriculum development, academic instruction, and medical residency training delivery.

Learn about the Policy Briefs