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Reducing Drug Use in Justice-Involved Emerging Adults

NCT ID: NCT05834881

Last Updated: 2025-12-16

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

80 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2023-05-26

Study Completion Date

2026-01-31

Brief Summary

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The overarching purpose of this pilot study is to investigate an increasingly common, but under-researched, practice of employing paraprofessional coaches to improve emerging adults' access to and engagement in evidence-based substance use practices, focusing on the paraprofessional coaches' outcomes and the role of lived experience.

Detailed Description

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Criminal legal system involved emerging adults are one of the highest-risk populations for opioid and other substance use and other significant problems (criminal behaviors), but they lack access to and engagement in evidence-based practices. The deleterious outcomes and long-term costs of substance use for emerging adults, communities, and society (estimated at over $740 billion annually and greater than costs for any other health problem), make this a priority. This pilot project is aimed at using paraprofessional coaches to increase engagement and access to evidence-based practices (i.e., contingency management for substance use and vocational/educational coaching) for emerging adults with substance use and criminal legal system involvement. In partnership with parole and probation, sixty emerging adults with substance use will be randomized to work with twenty paraprofessional coaches either with or without lived experience (i.e., successful substance use recovery and/or adult criminal legal system involvement). Although using peer paraprofessional coaches (those with lived experience) is becoming more popular and supported at the federal level, the outcome of this work on the paraprofessional coaches themselves, especially for emerging adults, is largely unexplored. The proposed study will use both quantitative and qualitative methods to assess feasibility and acceptability of the services and research protocols and to gain a better understanding of the impacts on both the coaches and their emerging adult clients. As substance use and poor vocational/educational attainment greatly increases the likelihood of recidivism, innovative strategies to reduce opioid and other substance use for emerging adults is critical, along with understanding the effects on the service providers (i.e., paraprofessional coaches). Aim 1: Determine the feasibility of paraprofessional coaches to deliver (with high adherence) the established interventions to emerging adults with substance use and criminal legal system involvement as part of probation and parole services, and explore differences in the delivery of the interventions based on lived experience. Aim 2: Compare emerging adult clients' engagement (attendance, completion of the intervention) and outcomes (substance use, vocational/educational attainment, criminal recidivism), when interventions are delivered by paraprofessional coaches with vs. without lived experience. Aim 3: For paraprofessional coaches delivering the interventions, examine the differences over time between those with vs. without lived experience on their own substance use symptoms and substance use relapse risk factors.

Conditions

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Substance-Related Disorders

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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CM combined with Vocational/educational Coaching from Coaches without Lived Experience

This group will receive contingency management (CM) combined with vocational/educational coaching from paraprofessional coaches without lived experience in community settings.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Contingency Management (CM) combined with vocational/educational coaching

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Two evidence based practices, CM and vocational/educational coaching, will be combined and delivered by paraprofessional coaches in an intervention named PEERS (Peers Education Empowering Recovery Supports). CM uses positive reinforcement (e.g., chances to win prizes) for clients who abstain from substance use. A standardized and well-validated CM protocol will be used in the proposed study. Vocational/educational coaching assists individuals in completing educational and vocational goals. A workbook developed specifically for vocational/educational coaching in emerging adults will be used in the study.

CM combined with Vocational/educational Coaching from Coaches with Lived Experience

This group will receive contingency management (CM) combined with vocational/educational coaching from paraprofessional coaches with lived experience in community settings.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Contingency Management (CM) combined with vocational/educational coaching

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Two evidence based practices, CM and vocational/educational coaching, will be combined and delivered by paraprofessional coaches in an intervention named PEERS (Peers Education Empowering Recovery Supports). CM uses positive reinforcement (e.g., chances to win prizes) for clients who abstain from substance use. A standardized and well-validated CM protocol will be used in the proposed study. Vocational/educational coaching assists individuals in completing educational and vocational goals. A workbook developed specifically for vocational/educational coaching in emerging adults will be used in the study.

Interventions

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Contingency Management (CM) combined with vocational/educational coaching

Two evidence based practices, CM and vocational/educational coaching, will be combined and delivered by paraprofessional coaches in an intervention named PEERS (Peers Education Empowering Recovery Supports). CM uses positive reinforcement (e.g., chances to win prizes) for clients who abstain from substance use. A standardized and well-validated CM protocol will be used in the proposed study. Vocational/educational coaching assists individuals in completing educational and vocational goals. A workbook developed specifically for vocational/educational coaching in emerging adults will be used in the study.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

-Between 18-30 years old

Exclusion:

-Life threatening or unstable condition requiring treatment (e.g., suicidal/homicidal ideation)

Emerging Adult Client Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion:

* 18-26 years old
* Have current or historical lived experience with the juvenile or adult criminal legal system (e.g., probation, parole, diversion, deflection).
* Screen positive for substance use disorder

Exclusion:

* Qualifying for federal disability benefits which would preclude them from engaging in educational/vocational coaching
* Currently unhoused without a primary address
* Life threatening or unstable condition requiring treatment (e.g., suicidal/homicidal ideation)
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

30 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

NIH

Sponsor Role collaborator

Chestnut Health Systems

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Tess Drazdowski

Principal Investigator

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

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Chestnut Health Systems

Eugene, Oregon, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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United States

Facility Contacts

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Tess K Drazdowski, PhD

Role: primary

[email protected]
3094517755

Ashli J Sheidow, PhD

Role: backup

[email protected]

Provided Documents

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Document Type: Informed Consent Form

View Document

Other Identifiers

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K23DA048161

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

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K23DA048161

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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