UCLA-Amity Parolee Health Promotion Study
Condition: Hepatitis B; Hepatitis C; HIV; Drug Addiction
MeSH terms: Hepatitis A; Hepatitis C; Hepatitis B; Hepatitis; Substance-Related Disorders
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The purpose of this study is to conduct a prospective, three-group study that randomly
      assigns 700 parolees, in a community residential drug treatment program, to enter one of
      three groups: 1) a PCPC (Parolee Comprehensive Care + Phone Coaching Program), which includes
      nurse case management and specialized hepatitis education sessions and the hepatitis A/B
      (HAV/HBV) vaccination series (to all eligible) and coach-facilitated mentoring (mostly by
      cell-phone); 2) a Parolee Brief Hepatitis Education + HBV vaccination + Phone Coaching (PBCP)
      Program, which includes brief hepatitis/HIV education, HAV/HBV vaccination and
      coach-facilitated mentoring; or 3) a Usual Care (UC) control program, which includes brief
      general health information, one-on-one coaching and the HAV/HBV vaccine.
    

Detailed description: 
      Homeless parolees pose a particular challenge for successful reentry into the community as
      they have underlying mental health issues combined with substance use and abuse and must
      contend with unstable housing situations, disorganized lives, unemployment, and limited
      access to health care and social services. Generally about 50% of all parolees scheduled to
      enroll in community-based drug treatment fail to enroll and less than 10% of enrollees
      actually complete treatment. Not surprisingly, about two-thirds of all individuals on parole
      are rearrested and return to custody within three years of release from prison. Recent data
      also revealed homeless persons who were least likely to complete a Hepatitis A/B (HAV/HBV)
      vaccine series were young (< 40) men who had been discharged from prison. Therefore, it is
      critical to engage paroled adults in comprehensive intervention programs that not only
      protect them from hepatitis B, but also reduce risky behavior, promote access to health care,
      social and employment services, and enable positive coping and communication skills.

      Building upon advice from community partners who have successfully treated parolees and the
      research team's experience with hepatitis vaccination work, this study is designed to conduct
      a prospective, three-group study that randomly assigns 700 ready-for-discharge parolees,
      scheduled to enter a community residential drug treatment program, to enter one of three
      groups: 1) a PCPC (Parolee Comprehensive Care + Phone Coaching Program), which includes nurse
      case management and specialized hepatitis education sessions and referrals, the HAV/HBV
      vaccination series (to all eligible) and coach-facilitated mentoring (mostly by cell-phone);
      2) a Parolee Brief Hepatitis Education + HBV vaccination + Phone Coaching (PBCP) Program,
      which includes brief hepatitis/HIV education, the HAV/HBV vaccination and coach-facilitated
      mentoring; or 3) a Usual Care (UC) control program, which includes brief general health
      information, and the HAV/HBV vaccine. This study will advance the research team's knowledge
      about drug treatment and HBV vaccine completion and recidivism among homeless parolees.
      Findings from this study can inform targeted interventions and lay the groundwork for health
      policy decisions that may impact hepatitis and HIV risk reduction and recidivism in this
      group who are a reservoir for these viruses in the general population, and are returning to
      prison at unprecedented numbers.
    

Intervention name(s): Parolee Comprehensive Care + Phone Coach; Parolee Brief HBV Program + Phone Coach; Usual Care Group
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): A nurse case managed and specialized hepatitis education program with the hepatitis A/B (HAV/HBV) vaccination series (to all eligible) and coach-facilitated mentoring (mostly by cell-phone).; A brief hepatitis/HIV education program with the Hepatitis A/B vaccine series and coach-facilitated mentoring.; Control Group: A brief general health information program with one-on-one coaching and the Hepatitis A/B vaccine
Other intervention name(s): PCPC; PBPC; UC
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Health Services Research
Keywords: Homeless Men; Parolees; Hepatitis B; Hepatitis C; HIV; Community Drug Treatment; Recidivism