Someone on Their Side: How Evidence-Based Training Helps Professionals Reduce Stigma Against Justice-Involved Persons with Substance Use Disorders

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University Distinguished Professor and Professor of Political Science at The University of Alabama, with nearly 25 years of experience working to improve rural health, mental health, substance use, and Veterans’ services. Founder and Principal Investigator of VitAL, a statewide initiative delivering practical, evidence-based solutions to Alabama’s behavioral health challenges. Nationally recognized for leadership in program evaluation and applied research that strengthens public policy and systems. Served as one of twelve experts on a Congressionally mandated evaluation of federal drug and alcohol programs. Serves on key federal, state, and local boards, including the U.S. Veterans Rural Health Advisory Committee, the Alabama Opioid Overdose and Addiction Council, and the DCH Health System Board of Directors. Proven track record of leading cross-sector partnerships that deliver real, measurable results for Alabama communities.

Maria Gurganus is the Project Manager of Project Possibilities with VitAL at The University of Alabama. In this role, she leads collaborative efforts with the Alabama Department of Mental Health, the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles, and other statewide partners to implement an innovative diversion model aimed at reducing recidivism among justice-involved individuals with substance use disorders. With over six years of experience managing federally funded initiatives and two years specifically overseeing Project Possibilities, Maria brings a strong background in program coordination, interagency collaboration, and systems-level change. She is deeply committed to advancing evidence-based strategies that improve outcomes for individuals impacted by substance use and the criminal justice system.

Karen A. Johnson, Ph.D., MSW, is an Associate Professor at the University of Georgia School of Social Work and Visiting Scholar at Yale University's Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS. Dr. Johnson served as Associate Director of the Implementation and Community Sciences Core at the University of Alabama at Birmingham's Center for AIDS Research. Dr. Johnson has extensive training in implementation science through fellowships at Columbia University, Johns Hopkins University Center for AIDS Research, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her research focuses on technology-based interventions and implementation strategies for justice-involved women who use substances, particularly Black women in alternative to incarceration programs. She has led multiple NIH-funded HIV/STI prevention studies and intervention adaptation efforts using community-based participatory research methods. Dr. Johnson is a 2023 Boston Congress of Public Health, Health Innovator to Watch and is committed to elevating lived experience voices in criminal justice reform through rigorous implementation science research.

Shanna McIntosh is the VitAL Director at the University of Alabama. She earned a master’s degree in counseling and psychology. Shanna has more than 15 years of experience as a Substance Use Treatment Director, Substance Use Counselor, Mental Health Therapist, and a certified case manager. In her current role as the VitAL Director, she oversees the implementation of multiple federally and state funded grants and projects. She serves as an advisor to the board for the Parent Resource Institute of Drug Education of Tuscaloosa, as well as the Tuscaloosa Mental Health Alliance, and is a co-founder of the West Alabama Recovery Coalition.

Tamekia Wilkins is the Research and Evaluation Project Director with VitAL at the University of Alabama. In this role, she leads comprehensive evaluations across statewide initiatives in public health, mental health, and substance use. With nearly a decade of experience in program evaluation, she is experienced in designing and implementing evaluations that inform practice. Her experience encompasses the full evaluation cycle: collaborating with stakeholders to define project goals and objectives, selecting appropriate data collection methodologies, and conducting both quantitative and qualitative analyses. Findings from her work have been disseminated in various formats, including conference presentations. manuscripts, and reports. She is skilled at aligning evaluation instruments and data collection methods with project goals and objectives to ensure meaningful and actionable insights. Her commitment to rigorous evaluation practices aims to enhance the effectiveness of projects and contribute to the well-being of communities across Alabama.