BEing Safe in Treatment (BEST)

University of Washington

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 2

Conditions: Substance Use; Risk Behavior; Risk Reduction; Sex, Unsafe

Treatments: Behavioral: Enhanced Counselor Training; Behavioral: BEST assessment only; Behavioral: Standard Counselor Training; Behavioral: BEST assessment plus feedback report

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT03575585

48767

5R01HD078163 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

Prior research has shown that many individuals with substance use disorders engage in HIV/sexual risk behaviors, and could strongly benefit from HIV prevention interventions that were delivered as part of their substance abuse treatment. However, discussions about sexual risk are not occurring at an appropriate frequency in treatment settings. This project will test the effects of counselor training and coaching, combined with a brief assessment and feedback tool, on counselor-patient communication about sex and on patient sexual risk behavior.

Enrollment: 537 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Admitted to substance use disorder treatment in the prior 45 days,
• Age 18 years or older
• Plan to remain in the local area for the next three months
• Assigned to a treatment counselor enrolled in the study.

Exclusion criteria

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Factorial Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

---

537 participants in 4 patient groups

Comparator: No Feedback, Standard Counselor

Experimental group

Description:

Patient assigned to a Standard Training counselor, completed the BEST assessment, but did NOT receive a feedback report.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Standard Counselor Training

Behavioral: BEST assessment only

Active1: Feedback, Standard Counselor

Experimental group

Description:

Patient assigned to a Standard Training counselor, completed the BEST assessment, and received a personalized feedback report.

Treatment:

Behavioral: BEST assessment plus feedback report

Behavioral: Standard Counselor Training

Active2: No feedback, Enhanced Counselor

Experimental group

Description:

Patient assigned to a Enhanced Training counselor, completed the BEST assessment, but did NOT receive a feedback report.

Treatment:

Behavioral: BEST assessment only

Behavioral: Enhanced Counselor Training

Active3: Feedback, Enhanced Counselor

Experimental group

Description:

Patient assigned to a Enhanced Training counselor, completed the BEST assessment, and received a personalized feedback report.

Treatment:

Behavioral: BEST assessment plus feedback report

Behavioral: Enhanced Counselor Training