Faculty & Staff
Faculty
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Title: Professor |
Khary Rigg, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Behavioral Health Science & Practice at the ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ. He earned his Ph.D. in medical sociology from University of Miami and completed a post-doctoral fellowship in health services research at University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
Dr. Rigg is an addiction researcher dedicated to improving health outcomes for individuals with substance use disorders. His most recent projects focus on:
- Enhancing addiction training for behavioral healthcare providers
- Improving treatment outcomes for methadone patients and their families
- Preventing overdoses in and rural communities
- Exploring the role of in addiction recovery
- Reducing surrounding medications for opioid use disorder
He has published over 80 peer-reviewed articles, and also writes , , and for non-academic audiences. Dr. Rigg has led funded research projects totaling over $9 million, with grant support from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce, and Humana Foundation.
His methodological expertise is in mixed-methods research and qualitative techniques. He also conducts secondary analyses of large datasets to identify drug use patterns and risk factors for overdose. Dr. Rigg currently serves as Senior for the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.
Follow him on X () or read his Psychology Today to learn more about his research.
Education
o B.S., Florida International University
o M.S., University of Miami
o Ph.D., University of Miami
Research Interests
o Drug Prevention, Treatment, Harm Reduction
o Opioid Addiction and Overdose
o Overdoses in Black and Rural Communities
o Community-Based and Family-Based Interventions
o Medications for Opioid Use Disorder
Recent Publications
Family-Based Interventions
Rigg, K. K., Kusiak, E., Proctor, S., Barber, S., Asous, L., & Bartholomew, T. (2025). Implementing family-based interventions in Opioid Treatment Programs: Preferences for method of delivery. Psychological Services. Published online.
Rigg, K. K., Proctor, S., Kusiak, E., Barber, S., Asous, L., & Bartholomew, T. (2024). Assessing
feasibility and barriers to implementing a family-based intervention in Opioid Treatment
Programs. Journal of Behavioral Health Services and Research, 51(2), 151-163.
Medications for Opioid Use Disorder
Rigg, K. K. (2024). Attitudes toward extended-release naltrexone treatment for opioid use disorder among African Americans. Drug & Alcohol Dependence, 257, 111260.
Rigg, K. K., Weaver, R., & Kusiak, E. (2023). Attitudes toward methadone treatment among Black/African-Americans:
Implications for engagement and retention. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 93(6),
476–485
Community-Based Interventions
Rigg, K. K., & Kosyluk, K. (2021). Developing and evaluating community-based health interventions: The role of data. In Community-Based Service Delivery: Theory and Implementation. (pp. 40-54). Routledge.
Rigg, K. K., Sharp, A., Conner, K. O., & Moore, K. A. (2019). Re-examining the role of patients
in community-based health interventions. In Community-Based Health Interventions in
an Institutional Context (pp. 125-138). Springer.
Opioid Overdoses in Rural Communities
Rigg, K. K., Monnat, S., & Chavez, M. (2019). Opioid-related mortality in rural America: Geographic heterogeneity and intervention strategies. International Journal of Drug Policy, 57, 119- 129.
Rigg, K. K., & Monnat, S. M. (2017). Urban vs. rural differences in prescription opioid misuse
among adults in the United States: Informing region-specific drug policies and interventions.
International Journal of Drug Policy, 26, 484-491.
Opioid Overdoses in Black Communities
Rigg, K. K., Weiner, M., & Kusiak, E. (2025). Patterns of polydrug use among African Americans who misuse opioids. Journal of Behavioral Health Services and Research, 52, 200-212.
Rigg, K. K., & Kusiak, E. (2023). Perceptions of fentanyl among African Americans who misuse
opioids: Implications for risk reduction. Harm Reduction Journal, 179(20), 1-8.
Harm Reduction
Rigg, K. K. (2025). Harm reduction research: A vital step in overcoming the opioid overdose crisis. Journal of Studies on Alcohol & Drugs, 86(4), 479-480.
Rigg, K. K., & Sharp, A. (2019). Deaths related to MDMA (ecstasy/molly): Prevalence, root causes,
and harm reduction interventions. Journal of Substance Use, 23(4), 345-352.
Drug Prevention
Rigg, K. K., & Johnson, M. E. (2022). Preventing opioid misuse: Racial/ethnic differences in the protective effects of extracurricular activities among justice-involved youth. Journal of Studies on Alcohol & Drugs, 83(3), 402-411.
Rigg, K. K., & Menendez, K. (2018). Drug prevention programs in schools: Selecting program providers. Health Education Journal, 77(5), 586-597.