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Completed

NCT Number: NCT02672150

Juvenile Justice Translational Research on Interventions for Adolescents in the Legal System

This is a multi site experiment to evaluate the impact of various strategies for increasing the use of evidence based screening, assessment and linkage to substance use treatment. All sites collect baseline data and receive a core intervention. Half are then randomly assigned to get an additional year of coaching to facilitate implementation.

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Key information

Conditions

Substance Use Disorders Chemically-Induced Disorders Mental Disorders Substance-Related Disorders

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States

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About this study

Background: The Juvenile Justice-Translational Research on Interventions for Adolescents in the Legal System (JJ-TRIALS) study is a cooperative implementation science initiative involving the National Institute on Drug Abuse, six Research Centers, a Coordinating Center, and Juvenile Justice Partners representing seven U.S. states. The pooling of resources across Centers enables a robust implementation study design involving 36 juvenile justice agencies and their behavioral health partner agencies, coproducing a study protocol that has potential to advance implementation science, meets the needs of all constituencies (funding agency, researchers, partners, study sites), and can be implemented with fidelity across the cooperative can be challenging.

Methods/design: The JJ-TRIALS primary study uses a head-to-head cluster randomized trial with a phased rollout to evaluate the differential effectiveness of two conditions (Core and Enhanced) in 36 sites located in 7 states. Core strategies for promoting change are compared to an Enhanced strategy that incorporate all core strategies plus active facilitation. Target outcomes include improvements in evidence-based screening, assessment, and linkage to substance use treatment.

Primary Research Questions:

  • Does the Core and/or Enhanced Intervention reduce unmet need by increasing Cascade retention related to screening, assessment, treatment initiation, engagement and continuing care?
  • Does the addition of the Enhanced Intervention components further increase the percentage of youth retained in the Cascade relative to the Core components?
  • Does the addition of the Enhanced Intervention components improve service quality relative to Core sites?
  • Do staff perceptions of the value of best practices increase over time, and are increases more pronounced in Enhanced sites?

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Specific site inclusion criteria include: (a) ability to provide youth service records, (b) service to youth under community supervision, (c) access to treatment provider(s) if treatment is not provided directly by the JJ agency, (d) participation in requisite intervention training/activities,(e) minimum average case flow of 10 youth per month, (f) minimum of 10 staff per site, and (g) a senior JJ staff member who agrees to serve as site leader/liaison during the study. Study sites are geographically dispersed and were identified by state JJ agencies (and not selected for particular substance use or related BH service needs).

Youth inclusion criteria include: all youth entering the juvenile justice system during the period within the exception of those who are already in treatment at the time that they are referred to the juvenile justice agency.

Staff inclusion criteria include: all staff actively working with the youth under community supervision in the site with exclusion only of higher level administrative or regional staff over multiple units..

Treatment and study plan

Core

Behavioral

Other names: GAT, DDDM

Enhanced

Behavioral

Other names: DDDM, Facilitation

Primary outcomes

  1. Service Cascade: % Referred to Substance Use Treatment

    Time frame: 120 weeks

    Calculated from juvenile justice and substance use treatment agency records as the number of youth referred to substance use treatment divided by the number of youth identified as need of substance use treatment.

  2. Staff Perception: Value of Evidenced Based Substance Use Treatment

    Time frame: 120 weeks

    Calculated from staff surveys at juvenile justice and substance use treatment agencies as the average staff ranking of the perceived "value" of using of evidence-based substance use treatment services.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Service Cascade: % Screened for Substance Use Problems

    Time frame: 120 weeks

    Calculated from juvenile justice and substance use treatment agency records as the number of youth "Screened" for substance use problems divided by the number of youth entering the juvenile justice system.

  2. Service Cascade: % Clinically Assessed for Substance Use Problems

    Time frame: 120 weeks

    Calculated from juvenile justice and substance use treatment agency records as the number of youth "Clinically Assessed" for substance use problems divided by the number of youth entering the juvenile justice system.

  3. Service Cascade: % In Need of Substance Use Treatment

    Time frame: 120 weeks

    Calculated from juvenile justice and substance use treatment agency records as the number of youth identified (via screening, clinical assessment or other sources) as "In Need of Substance Use Treatment" divided by the number of youth entering the juvenile justice system.

  4. Service Cascade: % Initiating Substance Use Treatment

    Time frame: 120 weeks

    Calculated from juvenile justice and substance use treatment agency records as the number of youth "Initiating" Substance Use Treatment within 90 days of referral" divided by the number referred to treatment from the juvenile justice system.

  5. Service Cascade: % Engaged in Substance Use Treatment

    Time frame: 120 weeks

    Calculated from juvenile justice and substance use treatment agency records as the number of youth "Engaged" in Substance Use Treatment for 6 weeks or more weeks divided by the number initiating treatment.

  6. Service Cascade: % With Substance Use Treatment Continuing Care

    Time frame: 120 weeks

    number of youth "Continuing" to receive substance use treatment services forCalculated from juvenile justice and substance use treatment agency records as the 90 days or more divided by the number initiating treatment.

  7. Service Quality: Timing of Screening or Clinical Assessment

    Time frame: 120 weeks

    Calculated from juvenile justice and substance use treatment agency records as the mean days from entry into the justice system to the first of screening or clinical assessment for substance use problems.

  8. Service Quality: Timing of Substance Use Treatment Initiation

    Time frame: 120 weeks

    Calculated from juvenile justice and substance use treatment agency records as the mean days from referral to and initiation of substance use treatment.

  9. Service Quality: Number of Evidence Based Practices

    Time frame: 120 Weeks

    Based on agency surveys and youth records from juvenile justice and substance use treatment agencies, the number of steps using 1 or more evidenced based practices in each of the following steps along the service cascade: screening, clinical assessment, referral, substance use treatment.

  10. Staff Perception: Value of Evidenced Based Screening

    Time frame: 120 weeks

    Calculated from staff surveys at juvenile justice and substance use treatment agencies as the average staff ranking of the perceived "value" of using of evidence-based screening.

  11. Staff Perception: Value of Evidenced Based Clinical Assessment

    Time frame: 120 weeks

    Calculated from staff surveys at juvenile justice and substance use treatment agencies as the average staff ranking of the perceived "value" of using of evidence-based clinical assessment.

  12. Staff Perception: Value of Evidenced Based Substance Use Prevention

    Time frame: 120 weeks

    Calculated from staff surveys at juvenile justice and substance use treatment agencies as the average staff ranking of the perceived "value" of using of evidence-based substance use prevention.

  13. Staff Perception: Value of Evidenced Based HIV Risk Prevention

    Time frame: 120 weeks

    Calculated from staff surveys at juvenile justice and substance use treatment agencies as the average staff ranking of the perceived "value" of using of evidence-based HIV Risk prevention.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Chestnut Health Systems

Other

Collaborators

  • Columbia University
  • Emory University
  • Mississippi State University
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
  • Temple University
  • Texas Christian University
  • University of Kentucky

Registry information

Official study title

Juvenile Justice Translational Research on Interventions for Adolescents in the Legal System: Multi-site Implementation Study

Acronym: (JJ-TRAILS)

Important dates

Study start
2013
Primary completion
2019
Study completion
2019
First posted
Feb 3, 2016
Registry last updated
Jul 23, 2019

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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