Public Health and Safety Portfolio

Reducing Opioid Mortality in Illinois (ROMI) was a six-year research study led by the University of Chicago Health Lab in partnership with the University of Illinois at Chicago. Participant recruitment began in 2021, and participant follow- up concluded in April of 2025. Analyses are ongoing and to date the research team has produced articles on ROMI’s implementation. Health Lab will continue analysis and dissemination efforts into late 2025 via scholarly journals and for the general public. ROMI aimed to understand and test strategies for linking individuals with a history of stimulant or opioid use who were released from Illinois jails and prisons to substance use treatment. ROMI was one of 12 grants awarded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as part of the Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network (JCOIN) to support research on addiction treatment in criminal justice settings nationwide.  

ROMI was a clinical trial examining the efficacy of case management and peer recovery coach interventions for individuals eligible for substance use disorder treatment. Case management services included substance use and mental health screening, insurance navigation, linkage to care, among other services. Peer recovery coaches complemented these efforts by providing interpersonal support such as motivational interviewing for participants to overcome recovery barriers.  

ROMI’s primary research questions explore whether a package of linkage services delivered by case managers and peer support specialists can increase participants’ engagement and retention in substance use treatment. The team is also monitoring the rates at which participants are connected with harm reduction services, insurance enrollment, mental health service engagement, and re-arrest. The team is also exploring differences in urban and rural settings in Illinois, especially as it related to understanding barriers and facilitators to effective implementation of linkage services.