Aaron Brown
Assistant Professor
Areas of Expertise
- SW620 - Understanding Theory in Social Work Practice
- SW650 - Research Methods in Social Work
Highlighted Publications
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Brown, A. R. (2022). Health professionals’ attitudes towards medications for Opioid Use Disorder.
Substance Abuse, 43, 598-614. -
Brown, A., Walters, J., Young, B., Cates, L., & Jones, A. (2023). Non-Prescribing clinicians’ treatment
orientations and attitudes toward treatments for opioid use disorder: Rural differences. Journal of
Substance Use and Addiction Treatment, 155, 1-12. -
Brown, A. R., Jones, A., Herbert, E. M., Chavez, M. Q., Susman, D. T., Brewer, T. K., & Miller, J. (2025).
Evaluating the impact of assisted outpatient treatment on healthcare utilization and Medicaid
expenditures in Kentucky. Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work, 1–14.
Current Projects
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Stronger Together: A Prevention Program for Families of People Who Use Opioids:
A statewide project developing and evaluating a text-delivered educational intervention to improve harm reduction knowledge, attitudes, and engagement among family members of individuals who use opioids in Kentucky. -
Evaluation of Kentucky’s Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) Program:
A mixed-methods evaluation examining outcomes, service utilization, and system-level impacts of AOT implementation across Kentucky to inform policy and program sustainability. -
Technology-Delivered Behavioral Health Interventions in Rural Settings:
A line of research focused on designing and testing scalable, low-burden interventions, including text-based CBT and digital outreach strategies, to expand access to care in rural and underserved communities.
Student & Research Availability
- Accepting Students in Programs: Bachelors | Doctoral | Masters
- Research or Interest Area Key Words: Substance use disorders; Harm reduction; Implementation science; Opioid use disorder; Rural health; Appalachian health; Program evaluation; Digital health interventions; Assisted Outpatient Treatment; Community Mental Health
Alma Mater
University of Tennessee
Get to Know Aaron
Dr. Aaron Brown is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and researcher whose work focuses on the implementation of harm reduction strategies and evidence-based treatments for substance use disorders, particularly in rural and underserved communities. His research examines how clinician attitudes, training, and organizational factors influence the adoption and utilization of harm reduction approaches, with a specific emphasis on opioid use disorder.
Dr. Brown’s scholarship is grounded in both research and practice. Drawing on his clinical experience in community mental health, he is particularly interested in bridging the gap between evidence-based interventions and real-world service delivery. His work often centers on reducing barriers to care, addressing stigma, and improving access to treatment and harm reduction services among populations disproportionately impacted by substance use.
In addition to his focus on implementation science, Dr. Brown explores the use of technology to expand the reach and effectiveness of behavioral health interventions. His recent projects include the development and evaluation of text-delivered interventions and other scalable, low-burden approaches designed to engage individuals and families affected by substance use.
Dr. Brown also serves on the evaluation team for Kentucky’s Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) program, where his work has contributed to demonstrating program impact and informing ongoing policy and funding decisions across the state.
At the University of Kentucky College of Social Work, Dr. Brown teaches courses on human behavior, theory, and evidence-based practice. He is committed to preparing future social workers to critically evaluate research, apply theory to practice, and engage in culturally responsive, ethical care.