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Rethinking the Behavioral Health-Public Safety Interface:
SHIELD 2.0 
Kentucky

The SHIELD 2.0 Study 

In May 2024, NIH/NIDA issued support for the next phase of research to develop the
SHIELD 2.0 model. Called “Project SHIELD: Police Education to Support Public Health in
Kentucky” (R61DA060622), this study examines the utility of SHIELD in the hands of the
behavioral health workforce.

Set in hard-hit Appalachian Eastern Kentucky, the “SHIELD 2.0 Study” equips the
behavioral health workforce to more effectively interface with law enforcement.

Our ultimate goal is to increase access to HIV prevention and other behavioral health
services by minimizing adverse encounters between police and program staff and clients.
 

Study Phases

Phase I

  • Stakeholder engagement to assess feasibility & readiness.

  • Train behavioral health leaders to conduct community planning process & deliver

       SHIELD training.

  • Pilot customized SHIELD training.


Phase II​

  • Implement SHIELD 2.0 in Kentucky.

  • Evaluate outcomes for law enforcement officers and community members.

  • Survey local people who use drugs about experiences with law enforcement to validate impact.

Collaboration

In close collaboration with the University of Kentucky, this study builds on interdisciplinary
expertise of researchers from Johns Hopkins, San Diego State, and Northeastern
Universities. It also involves collaborators from Brown and UC San Diego. The project is
led by a team of three principal investigators:


Javier Cepeda, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at Johns Hopkins. His role
on the project is to lead modeling and economic evaluation.

Leo Beletsky, JD, MPH, is a Professor of Law and Health Sciences at Northeastern
University and Director of The Action Lab. His role on the project is to lead development
and calibration of train-the-trainer model.

Eileen Pitpitan, PhD is an Associate Professor of Social Work at San Diego State
University and Co-Director of the San Diego Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) Health
Equity Sociobehavioral Science Core. Her role on the project is to lead implementation
science operations.

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