Dr. Holbrook has been conducting research in the field of substance use disorders for nearly a decade, with a specialization in maternal addiction. Her research has included studies of treatment effectiveness for opioid dependence and nicotine abuse, the prevalence of co-occurring mental health disorders, and neonatal outcomes.

Presentations

• Holbrook, A. Maternal Methadone Dose and Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome. Poster presented at College on Problems in Drug Dependence, June 2010
• Holbrook, A., Kaltenbach, K. Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome and Gender: Does Sex Matter?. Poster presented at College on Problems in Drug Dependence, June 2009.

Publications

• Holbrook, A. (2015). Methadone versus buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid abuse in pregnancy: Science and stigma. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 41(5), 371-373.
• Holbrook, A., Baxter, J., et al. (2012). Infections and obstetrical outcomes in opioid-dependent pregnant women maintained on methadone or buprenorphine. Addiction, 107 Suppl 1:83-90.
• Holbrook, A. & Kaltenbach, K. (2012). Co-occurring psychiatric symptoms in opioid-dependent women: The prevalence of antenatal and postnatal depression. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 38(6),575-9.

Ensuring that social services are effective in meeting the needs of our clients is one of the ethical responsibilities of the social work profession. Dr. Holbrook collaborates with community agencies to evaluate interventions and programs. She is also dedicated to finding ways to engage social work students in critically evaluating their practice.

Presentations

• Holbrook, A., Hunt, S. Implementation of an evidence-based practice in a community agency: Dissemination, evaluation, and lessons learned. Submitted to Society of Social Work Research 2016.
• Holbrook, A., Chen, W. Teaching Program Evaluation to Social Work Students: An Agency Collaboration Model, Interactive Workshop, Council on Social Work Education, October 2015.
• Chen, W., Holbrook, A. Learning by doing: An experiential approach to teaching program evaluation, Oral Presentation, Council on Social Work Education, October 2015.
• Holbrook, A. Effective Organization and Management of your Research Project. Oral presentation at the MOTHER Principal Investigator/Research Project Coordinator Meeting, November, 2007.

Publications

• Holbrook, A., Chen, W. Teaching program evaluation to social work students: An agency collaboration model. (In Prepartation)
• Holbrook, A., Chen, W. Learning by doing: An experiential approach to teaching program evaluation. Journal of Social Work Education (Under Review)
• Holbrook, A., Nguyen, V. (2015). Medication-assisted treatment for pregnant women: A systematic review of the evidence and implications for social work practice. Journal of the Society for Social Work Research, 6(1), 1-19.
• Holbrook, A., Jones, H.E., et al. (2013). Induction of pregnant women onto opioid-agonist maintenance medication: An analysis of withdrawal symptoms and study retention. Drug and Alcohol Dependence; doi: pii: S0376-8716(13)00090-2. 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2013.02.031.
• Holbrook, A., & Kaltenbach, K. (2011). Effectiveness of a smoking cessation intervention for methadone-maintained women: a comparison of pregnant and parenting women. International Journal of Pediatrics; doi: 10.1155/2011/567056.

• Dr. Holbrook is currently collaborating with the Living Proof Recovery Center in Voorhees, N.J. to assess the effectiveness of Wellness Recovery Action Planning (WRAP) for individuals recovering from substances use disorders. This project expanded services in the peer recovery center and will evaluate the impact of WRAP on achievement of key recovery-related outcomes.
• Dr. Holbrook has also collaborated with Resources for Human Development, Inc. on multiple projects. In Fall 2014, students in Dr. Holbrook’s classes assisted programs offering mobile psychiatric rehabilitation and homeless case management services to design evaluation plans. She is currently working on a project to evaluate the impact of training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy for direct care staff in residential programs.