Family Engagement, Cross-System Linkage to Substance Use Treatment for Juvenile Probationers -- Phase 3

New York State Psychiatric Institute

Status: Completed

Conditions: Substance Related Problem; Substance Use; Substance-Related Disorders; Substance Use Disorders; Substance Dependence; Substance Abuse

Treatments: Behavioral: Family CONNECT

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT03048552

R34DA039316 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

7108

Details and patient eligibility

About

Developed from adapting and combining two evidence-based programs, Project CONNECT (a linkage-to-services program that targets barriers within the probation and substance abuse treatment systems) and TIES (a program that teaches family engagement skills to providers), Family CONNECT is a linkage-to-services program that targets both family and system-level factors to increase youth use of and retention in substance use services. Using Linkage Specialists embedded within probation departments, Family CONNECT will be implemented in two NYS probation departments. This proposed study will evaluate the impact of Family CONNECT on (1) youth referral from probation to substance abuse treatment, (2) youth and family engagement in substance abuse treatment, (3) youth enrollment/retention in substance abuse treatment, and (4) youth substance use and recidivism. Counts of youth referred, youth who start treatment, and youth retained in treatment will be obtained from the juvenile justice agency for 6-months pre-implementation of Family Connect (i.e. baseline) and during the implementation period of e-Connect; counts of youth recidivism will be obtained 6 months following the completion of Family Connect. This study will also identify family and probation organizational factors influencing Family CONNECT implementation in probation settings. 50 caregiver-youth dyads and up to 36 probation officers will be recruited as participants in the study. Caregiver-youth dyads will be evaluated at baseline, 2 and 6 months; probation officers at baseline, 6, 12, and 18 months; linkage specialists at baseline, 6, 12, and 18 months.

Enrollment: 22 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 10 to 18 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Youth:

Inclusion Criteria

1. Between 10-18 years of age
2. English speaking
3. A caregiver who will participate in the study
4. MAYSI-2 score of ≥ 4 on any MAYSI-2 subscale; YASI mental health and substance use screen items; or other documented evidence of mental health or substance use problem
5. Currently on probation

Exclusion Criteria 1. Cognitively unable to complete the interview

Caregiver:

Inclusion criteria

1. Youth's legal guardian (or permission from legal guardian)
2. Youth who will participate
3. English speaking

Exclusion criteria:

1. Cognitively unable to complete the interview

Probation staff:

Inclusion criteria:

1. Currently employed at probation department

Exclusion criterion:

1. None

Trial design

Primary purpose: Health Services Research

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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22 participants in 2 patient groups

Standard of Care

No Intervention group

Description:

This arm is comprised of caregiver-youth dyads randomized to work with the youth's probation officer as usual to link youth to substance use services.

Family CONNECT

Experimental group

Description:

This arm is comprised of caregiver-youth dyads randomized to work with linkage specialists to link youth to substance use services.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Family CONNECT