Nick Burson
Biography
Nick Burson joined the Substance Use Research Team in 2022 as the Evaluation Project Manager for the Substance Use Prevention, Treatment and Recovery Support Services Block Grant (SUPTRS BG). Nick also supports evaluation efforts on the State Opioid Response (SOR) Grant. While pursuing their undergraduate degree, Nick was previously a research assistant at Wayne State’s School of Medicine examining the neural mechanisms of addiction. Nick graduated with a BA in Psychology in 2022 and is currently enrolled in Wayne State’s MSW program.
Responsibilities
In their role as Evaluation Project Manager, Nick is the primary evaluation contact for MDHHS, Prevention Network, and grantees. They manage two key projects: 1)The Coalition Support & Community Change Project (C3) which supported capacity building for coalitions to address local conditions in communities adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This capacity building has allowed for increased substance use prevention services across Michigan, and 2) The Rec-Cap project aims to evaluate the use of the Rec-Cap Assessment and Recovery Planning Tool in Michigan recovery residences. Rec-Cap is an evidence-based instrument that assesses clients’ recovery strengths, barriers, and unmet service needs.
Nick has experience with developing large scale data collection tools and with data analysis to facilitate grant progress and program evaluation. These evaluative procedures assist in creating comprehensive reports, papers, and presentations.
Degrees and Certifications
BA, Psychology, Wayne State University