Chang named fellow of International Academy of Addictions Nursing

Yu-Ping Chang, the Patricia H. and Richard E. Garman Endowed Professor in the School of Nursing, has been named a fellow of the International Academy of Addictions Nursing within the International Nurses Society on Addictions (IntNSA).

IntNSA is a professional society for nurses committed to the prevention, intervention, treatment and management of addictive disorders. Fellows are recognized for their contributions through practice, teaching, advocacy, administration and research in the field of addictions nursing.

Chang, who is also a faculty member in the UB Clinical and Research Institute on Addictions, will be honored Oct. 13 at the IntNSA 2019 Annual Educational Conference in Baltimore.

“I am extremely thankful for this honor. The International Nurses Society on Addictions is dedicated to providing high-quality, evidence-based addictions nursing care for patients, families, populations and communities, says Chang, associate dean for research and scholarship in the School of Nursing.

“I am proud to be a member and am committed to promoting the professional image and impact of addictions nursing through research, education and professional service.”

Chang’s research on mental health, and prescription drug misuse and addictions in older adults — particularly among vulnerable populations — has been widely published and funded.

Studies she has led have found that college education is linked to opioid misuse among baby boomers, and that motivational interviewing is an effective tool at curbing opioid misuse in older adults.

Her current work focuses on integrating behavioral health into primary care. She is the recipient of a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to integrate evidence-based behavioral health models into primary care clinics located in underserved areas in Western New York. The project aims to transform these clinics into fully integrated practices and to examine the impact of the integration using implementation science methods and approaches. 

A few outcomes of the project include improved mental health and substance use among patients, increased routine screening for behavioral health, the introduction of psychiatric consultation through telehealth technology and the use of virtual reality to train providers on behavioral health.

Chang received a nearly $2 million HRSA grant to increase the mental health and addictions workforce in Western New York through interprofessional education and training for UB students as well.

HRSA also awarded Chang a $1.35 million grant to partner with local primary and behavioral health care sites and launch the Opioid Workforce Expansion Program, an interdisciplinary, state-of-the-art addictions training program for UB students pursuing graduate degrees and certificates in mental health counselling, rehabilitation counseling, psychology, social work and psychiatric mental health nursing.

In recognition of her contributions to nursing science, she has received numerous awards, including the 2013 March of Dimes Nurse of the Year Award in Research and UB’s Milton Plesur Excellence in Teaching Award.

In addition to mentoring faculty and students on research and clinical projects on addictions, Chang has published more than 60 journal articles, five book chapters and more than 160 conference presentations.

She also is a fellow of both the Gerontological Society of America and the American Academy of Nursing.