UTSA professor James Bray collaborates with agencies in Houston to train first responders to detect opioid overdoses and provide treatment.
(March 19, 2019) -- James Bray, professor and chair of the UTSA Department of Psychology, is working on a research project with agencies in Houston to train first responders in how to detect prescription opioid overdoses and provide life-saving outreach services.
Bray is working with the Houston Health Department, Houston Fire Department (HFD), Houston Recovery Center (HRC) and Baylor College of Medicine to teach first responders how to recognize overdoses and misuses of prescription pain relievers, heroin and fentanyl and how to properly administer naloxone, a medication designed to rapidly reverse an opioid overdose.
“This project allows us to mobilize existing resources and expertise in Harris County and the City of Houston to not only train first responders how to administer the proper drug to save lives, but to provide outreach and treatment services for people who overdose on opioids through Houston Recovery Center’s peer recovery and case management services,” said Bray.
Bray explained that opioid addiction impacts millions of Americans from all demographics and this grant will provide opioid overdose victims treated by HFD with treatment services such as, medical assisted therapy, behavioral and psychological treatment and pain management.
The project called, First Responder Opioid Overdose Naloxone Training and Linkage Into Needed Evidence-based Services (FRONTLINES), is supported by a $2 million grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for four years.
According to the most recent data from the Texas Department of State Health Services, there were 239 accidental poisoning deaths where opioids were involved in Houston in 2015 and 1,174 deaths statewide.
In addition to FRONTLINES, Bray is involved in another big research project in Houston. In 2017, Bray received a five-year, $2.6 million grant from SAMHSA to lead a project that provides mental health services and recovery support to high-risk pregnant, postpartum women recovering from substance abuse. The program, called Pregnant and Mothers Postpartum Enhanced Recovery-Oriented Residential Services (PAMPERRS) supplements services provided by Houston’s Santa Maria Hostel.
Bray joined the UTSA Department of Psychology in August 2017. His research interests include family psychology and health, adolescent substance use, and primary care psychology.
Learn more about James Bray.
Learn more about UTSA Department of Psychology.
Learn more about UTSA College of Liberal and Fine Arts.
Celebrate UTSA’s 50th Anniversary and share social media posts about the 50th using the hashtag #UTSA50.
Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.
UTSA Today is produced by University Communications and Marketing, the official news source of The University of Texas at San Antonio. Send your feedback to news@utsa.edu. Keep up-to-date on UTSA news by visiting UTSA Today. Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram.
The virtial event will feature undergraduate student research and creative endeavors from across the university. Students who have participated in research experiences beginning summer 2020 through Spring 2021 are invited to participate.
Virtual EventBy participating in this training you will feel more prepared to recognize potential harm on a spectrum, decide how you would respond in certain situations and take action to keep our Roadrunner Community safe.
Virtual EventAt UTSA, there are many ways to connect with others, gain relevant career experience, and leave your mark at a world-ranked university. With over 300 student organizations, there’s something for everyone at UTSA. Hear from various UTSA Students Leaders about their life as a Roadrunner and why UTSA is their new home.
Virtual EventThis course is offered by UTSA's Employee Assistance Program EAP Deer Oaks. Every new beginning comes from something else ending, and in our ever changing world, it is essential to develop the ability topositively cope with change. This session provides participants with the insight to understand the nature of change and learn how to effectively deal with both the losses and the gains that change brings to one’s life.
Virtual EventOn April 28, 2021, millions of people across the world will wear jeans with a purpose, support survivors, and educate themselves and others about all forms of sexual violence. To support this movement our donation drive will be items that we will be putting together to make Care Kits. These Care Kits are for students, faculty and staff to get in case of an emergency and they need to leave the situation they're in ASAP and do not have time to pack.
Ximenas Ave GarageISD Saturdays are an exclusive opportunity for students at an ISD in San Antonio. Each event will group various districts together for each presentation date or session.
Virtual EventFloor captains play a critical role in emergency preparedness, safety awareness and crime prevention techniques throughout the university. They focus on safety and security initiatives while providing guidance and direction to building occupants. During emergency activations, they assist with required evacuations and reentry, shelter-in-place commands, interface with police and other first responders, and help those who may require assistancer.
MyTraining WebinarThe University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.
We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education.
The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to ending generations of discrimination and inequity. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.
