Pilot Evaluation of a Cross-Disciplinary Trainings Addressing Substance Use for Mississippi Moms

Authors

• Saijun Zhang, University of MississippiFollow
• Catherine Poehling, University of Southern MississippiFollow
• Xiaoshan Gordy, University of Mississippi Medical CenterFollow
• Chinedu P. ChukwuFollow
• Jerome R. KolboFollow
• Masoumeh Karimi, University of Mississippi Medical CenterFollow
• Matthew Morris, Vanderbilt University Medical CenterFollow
• Andrew Voluse, University of Mississippi Medical CenterFollow
• Erin DehonFollow
• Michelle BrassfieldFollow
• Danielle LahnFollow
• Lisa SladeFollow
• Deanna HowingtonFollow
• Kathleen RhodesFollow
• Tearsenee Davis, University of Mississippi Medical CenterFollow
• Sonja FuquaFollow
• Lei Zhang, University of Mississippi Medical CenterFollow

Keywords

Intimate partner violence, providers, substance use disorders, training

Word Count

2608

Document Type

Research Briefs

Abstract

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) and substance use co-occurring is often managed in siloed systems. Training IPV and related service providers on substance use topics may strengthen screening, response, and referral.

Purpose: To assess whether a pilot training program on substance use disorders (SUDs) in Mississippi improved service providers’ knowledge, preparedness, and attitudes around substance use and satisfaction with the training.

Methods: Pre–post surveys were administered to healthcare and community service providers who completed the training, assessing substance use service-related knowledge, preparedness, and attitudes.  Descriptive statistics and t-tests were used to analyze the data.

Results: Fifty-nine providers completed a valid pre-training survey and 28 completed a valid post-training survey; 16 contributed to matched pre-post analyses of preparedness and attitudes. Overall preparedness increased from 2.78 to 3.95 (p < .001), with gains across nearly all domains including screening, responding, and referral tasks. Overall attitudes improved from 3.34 to 3.79 (p < .001), with gains primarily in confidence-related domains but not in general beliefs or affective attitudes related to services. Satisfaction averaged 3.75/5, highest for learning new information and intention to apply training, with a lower rating for relevance (3.38).

Conclusion: Substance use training improved provider readiness, confidence, and knowledge and achieved a reasonable level of satisfaction. The findings add to existing literature by underscoring the importance of such training for SUD screening and prevention. To sustain gains, programs may further consider hands-on training, longitudinal refreshers, and organizational support. Findings are preliminary given sample and data limitations.

Recommended Citation

Zhang, S., Poehling, C., Gordy, X., Chukwu, C. P., Kolbo, J. R., Karimi, M., Morris, M., Voluse, A., Dehon, E., Brassfield, M., Lahn, D., Slade, L., Howington, D., Rhodes, K., Davis, T., Fuqua, S., & Zhang, L. (2026). Pilot Evaluation of a Cross-Disciplinary Trainings Addressing Substance Use for Mississippi Moms. Journal of Public Health in the Deep South, 6(1), 15. DOI: https://doi.org/10.55533/2996-6833.1123