Community-powered research
Our partners
We partner with community organizations to ensure our work is grounded in real-world needs, informed by lived experience, and simple to engage with.
Community Partners
The ConCERN study works with community organizations across Michigan to help connect people with the study and share information about ConCERN within their communities.
Community Advisory Board
Ahmad Ballout
Ahmad Ballout has been working at ACCESS as a Public Health Coordinator for the past eight years. In this role, he oversees overdose prevention efforts across Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, and Hamtramck, with a focus on connecting individuals to appropriate services following a crisis. Outside of his professional work, he enjoys traveling and has a strong interest in history. He also values creating meaningful memories with his family and loved ones.
Amanda Beson
Amanda Beson did not have access to support resources when she was directly impacted by her ex-husband's substance use disorder (SUD), leaving her feeling lost and alone. After discovering family recovery coaching and learning how to support a loved one with SUD, she felt compelled to help others facing similar challenges, especially those still in the midst of it. Amanda is passionate about supporting spouses and partners before relationships reach a breaking point, helping families navigate difficult moments and avoid the confusion and isolation she once experienced. Amanda believes in transforming pain into purpose, which led her to her work as a family recovery coach. Outside of her work, she enjoys music, spending time with loved ones, volleyball, softball, hiking, volleyball, softball, and boating.
Darrell Barnes-Bey
Darrell Barnes-Bey is a dedicated Peer Recovery Coach Supervisor and Recovery Coach Professional Facilitator with a passion and focus on empowering individuals, strengthening communities through recovery support, building recovery capital, promoting long-term wellness. With a lived experience that fuels his purpose, Darrell has been in recovery since April 21, 2016, bringing authenticity, leadership, and compassion to every space he enters. Since 2019, he has led and supervised peer recovery services, while also training and developing recovery coaches to serve on the front lines of substance use and mental health recovery.
Joye Staple
Joye Staple’s main interests revolve around the arts, traveling, and volunteer work. She is passionate about helping others and has contributed to modern-day science by volunteering in research studies. The passion drives both Joye’s personal and professional life, as she views volunteering not simply as a hobby, but as a meaningful way to make a difference in the world one life at a time.
Samuel Zeeryp
Samuel Zeeryp is a licensed cosmetologist, individual in recovery, and the founder of The Hairapist Project, an initiative that provides free hair transformations for people in early recovery. He uses hair as a gateway to deeper conversations around identity, confidence, and healing. Drawing from lived experience, Samuel brings authenticity and empathy into his work, with a strong belief that transformation is both internal and external. He is passionate about helping others feel seen, valued, and capable of growth while continuing to evolve in his own journey.
Pamela Goodloe
Pamela G. is an educator, advocate, and proud mother dedicated to supporting children and families. Her work focuses on trauma-informed and healing-centered practices that recognize the needs of both children and their caregivers. As a Community Advisory Board (CAB) member for the ConCERN project, she helps support efforts to reduce stigma, strengthen communication, and improve access to care for friends and family members of individuals experiencing opioid use disorder. Pamela is passionate about helping families feel seen, supported, and empowered, and she believes in the power of community to create meaningful and lasting change.
Our Funders
Technology partners
Boxcar Studio and University of Michigan Information Technology Services help us make ConCERN accessible, reliable, and intuitive for caregivers and communities.
Interested in helping pilot the intervention?
We’d love to work with you. Email ConCERNstudy@med.umich.edu with the subject line “Interested Partner” and include the best person to contact, your organization, and your location.
With your support, we hope to reduce opioid related harms by better supporting individuals and communities who have been affected by this crisis.
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