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NCT Number: NCT07682441

CBITS-RTM Pilot Study

This pilot study, conducted in partnership with juvenile detention centers, evaluates an adapted CBITS-RTM intervention delivered in a detention school setting.

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Key information

Age range

13 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

UCSF Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital

San Francisco, California, 94131, United States

Location contact

Principal Investigator, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

About this study

The study examines the intervention's feasibility and acceptability, as well as its effectiveness in reducing incarcerated youth's posttraumatic stress symptoms, improving academic functioning, and decreasing intentions to use substances post-release.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Youth must 1) be currently incarcerated in a partnering juvenile detention center, 2) be between 13-18 years of age, and 3) have a minimum of 3 months remaining on their sentence (i.e., sufficient time required to complete CBITS-RTM). Youth will complete a screening with a study team member involving the 2-item Abbreviated PTSD Checklist-Civilian version, with scores ≥4 considered a positive screen
  • Clinicians are eligible if they are behavioral health staff working with youth at the detention school..

Exclusion criteria

  • Observable cognitive or developmental delays or active psychosis that would interfere with completing consent, assessment or intervention.

Treatment and study plan

Adapted Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS) with a Racial Trauma Module (RTM)

Behavioral

The Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS) program is a school-based, group and individual intervention designed to reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and behavioral problems, and to improve functioning, grades and attendance, and coping skills. The CBITS intervention was adapted to juvenile justice settings with an added Racial Trauma Module (RTM), which provides youth with an overview of the effects of racism on levels of traumatic stress.

Other names: CBITS-RTM

Primary outcomes

  1. Child PTSD Symptom Scale (CPSS)

    Time frame: Baseline, 3 months post-baseline

    The CPSS is used to measure posttraumatic stress among youth (8-18 years). It assesses past month posttraumatic stress symptom severity and impairment of endorsed symptoms on daily functioning. Scores range from 0-80, with 31+ indicating probable PTSD.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Youth Alcohol and Drug Use Survey

    Time frame: Baseline, 3 months post-baseline

    The Youth Alcohol and Drug Use Survey will be used to gather youth's intention to use substances post-release using items rated on a scale from 1 (unlikely) to 10 (very likely).

  2. Texas Christian University (TCU) Drug Screen

    Time frame: Baseline, 3-months post-baseline

    The TCU will be administered to gather information on substance use quantity and frequency as well as risk for SUD (corresponds with DSM-5 criteria) on the 3-months prior to incarceration and past 3 months at post-release.

Other outcomes

  1. Youth Background Characteristics

    Time frame: Baseline

    Demographics questionnaire used to gather standard demographics (e.g., age, gender, race) and information such as state agency involvement (e.g., age at first contact with juvenile legal system, number of prior arrests), immigration status.

  2. Treatment Acceptability Form

    Time frame: 3-months post-baseline

    This form will be used to assess the acceptability of the adapted CBITS-RTM intervention. Items are scored from 1 "Strongly disagree" to 5 "Strongly agree." Scores range from 10-50 with higher scores indicating higher acceptability.

  3. CBITS-RTM Group Evaluation Posttest

    Time frame: 3-months post-baseline

    This will assess knowledge of trauma, changes in ability to cope with stress, and acceptability of the intervention and its delivery. Items are true/false or qualitative in nature.

  4. Clinician personal and professional background characteristics

    Time frame: Baseline

    Questionnaire used to gather personal and professional background characteristics (e.g., clinical discipline, experience with trauma treatment, years of practice in juvenile detention setting).

  5. Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools-Fidelity Adherence Measure 2.0

    Time frame: 20% of the sessions

    This measure will be used to assess how closely clinicians adhere to the adapted CBITS-RTM intervention. The scale describes the core components expected to be covered in each session, and the rater indicates the degree to which each component was delivered with fidelity using a 4-point item rating ranging from 0 (not covered at all) to 3 (covered thoroughly). Higher item scores indicate greater fidelity to the intervention curriculum.

  6. The Evidence-Based Practice Attitude Scale (EBPAS)

    Time frame: Baseline

    The EBPAS (15-items) will be used to assess clinician's attitudes toward adopting new evidence-based practices (EBPs). It consists of four subscales: appeal, requirements, openness, and divergence. Items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale from 0 (not at all) to 4 (to a very great extent). Higher scores on the Appeal, Requirements, and Openness subscales indicate more positive attitudes toward adopting EBPs, whereas higher Divergence scores indicate less favorable attitudes.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Jeanne McPhee, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

Johanna B Folk, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

415-602-9521

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of California, San Francisco

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Preventing Substance Use Among Incarcerated Youth Through Addressing Posttraumatic Stress

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2027
Study completion
2027
First posted
Jul 2, 2026
Registry last updated
Jul 6, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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