FOREward Together: Training Peer Recovery Coaches to Promote Retention and Adherence to MOUD

Low-income and racial/ethnic minorities suffer disproportionately from the opioid use disorder (OUD) crisis, evidencing consistently lower rates of critical treatment outcomes, including medication for OUD (MOUD) engagement and retention. While these individuals exhibited a need for evidence-based care prior to the pandemic, low-income, racial/ethnic minority populations have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19, as have persons with SUDs.

Peer Recovery Coaches (PRC) are individuals with lived-experiences with substance use who have been certified by the state to assist in treatment recovery. Because of similarities between PRCs and substance use clients, PRCs can overcome many of the barriers that clients face to engaging and staying in MOUD treatment, such as stigma. goal of the current project is to conduct an open-label pilot trial to examine the feasibility, acceptability and accessibility of a PRC-led intervention to support retention in MOUD care.

This project proposes to develop a novel and sustainable model for improving retention in MOUD treatment by training PRCs to deliver an evidence-based intervention (EBI), Behavioral Activation (BA). BA seeks to increase the positive reinforcement patients experience from their natural environment by promoting prosocial and valued experiences. BA has been found to improve substance use treatment retention and adherence, as well as medication adherence in low-income individuals with HIV/AIDS. To that end, the following goal is proposed: to evaluate the preliminary feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of the PRC- delivered BA approach. An open-label pilot trial (n=40) of the adapted PRC-delivered BA intervention and training protocol in a representative agency in Detroit, MI serving a low-income, predominantly African-American population will be conducted. Findings from this phase of the project will be used to re-adapt the manual and training procedures.

Inclusion criteria

• Participants must (1) be receiving or referred to MOUD; and (2) be over the age of 18.

Exclusion criteria

• Exclusion criteria will be (1) demonstrating active, unstable or untreated psychiatric symptoms, including mania and/or psychosis; or (2) inability to understand the study and give informed consent in English Active, Unstable or Untreated Psychiatric Symptoms: The study team is committed to recruiting a sample that reflects the complexity and likely comorbidity of people with moderate to severe OUD in this setting. Therefore, only people whose concurrent mental health issues preclude ability to participate with the procedures in this study will be excluded. Throughout the study, researchers will monitor for active, unstable or untreated psychiatric symptoms as the presence of these symptoms during study procedures would interfere with participation. Monitoring for exclusionary psychiatric symptoms can include reviewing data in medical chart (per protocol-approved access to medical records), observation during assessments and intervention sessions, and/or current symptoms detected on the MINI modules for psychosis and mania.

Inability to complete informed consent/ study in English. This study/intervention will be implemented in English only. Therefore, the capacity and willingness to give written informed consent in English, to understand the study and inclusion and exclusion criteria in English.