mHealth Service Linkage for Young Adults Impacted by the Criminal Legal System (LYNX)

University of Pittsburgh

Status: Begins enrollment this month

Conditions: Substance Use; HIV Prevention

Treatments: Behavioral: Standard of Care; Behavioral: LYNX

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT07599722

STUDY22020053 (Aim 3)

5R34DA057891-03 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study is designed to test Project LYNX, a program designed to help young adults (ages 18-29) with recent criminal legal system involvement can find and get connected to substance use and HIV-prevention services in the community. The program combines support from a trained peer navigator with easy-to-use digital tools.

The study will:

• Adapt an existing navigator program by adding new digital (eHealth) tools that were co-developed with young adults. These tools will help navigators refer participants to the right health services.
• Refine and test the updated program to make sure it works well and is easy to use.
• Evaluate whether the program is feasible, acceptable, and helpful in linking young adults to substance use treatment and HIV-prevention services.

The overall goal is to create a practical, user-friendly system that supports young adults find and get connected to services for substance use and HIV prevention that they need.

Enrollment: 50 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 29 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Self-report recent criminal legal involvement (past year);
• Self-identify as HIV-negative
• Endorse behaviors in the past 6 months indicating consideration of PrEP per the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) risk indices
• Meet the Tobacco, Alcohol, Prescription medication, and other Substance use (TAPS) Tools' criteria for identifying the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) substance use disorder
• Are conversant in English.

Exclusion criteria

• Being on PrEP
• Cognitive delays that would interfere with consent or participation
• Inability to provide contact information for >2 locator individuals

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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50 participants in 2 patient groups

Standard of Care

Active Comparator group

Description:

Standard of care will involve young adults (18 to 29 years) impacted by the criminal legal system engaging in and connecting with HIV and substance use services in healthcare systems via warm referral to services in the community.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Standard of Care

LYNX Intervention

Experimental group

Description:

Project LYNX is a new program designed to help young adults involved in the criminal legal system (ages 18-29) get connected to substance use treatment and HIV-prevention services.

Treatment:

Behavioral: LYNX