Continuing Care App for Probationers and Parolees
Condition: Substance Use Disorders
MeSH terms: Substance-Related Disorders
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      This project extends successful Phase I work that developed a Continuing Care mobile
      application (app) for probationers and parolees with SUDs who are at elevated risk of
      relapse, re-arrest, and incarceration. This Phase II STTR project will finalize app
      development and evaluate its efficacy in a randomized controlled trial. The project has high
      public health significance due to its potential to provide an accessible recovery support
      tool for individuals on probation or parole that could improve their substance use disorder
      treatment outcomes.
    

Detailed description: 
      Substance use disorders (SUDs) continue to be one of the most serious public health problems
      in the US. Studies have consistently documented a substantially higher prevalence of SUDs
      among adults under criminal justice supervision in the community (i.e., probation or parole)
      as compared to the general population. There is growing recognition that addiction is a
      chronic health condition, and individuals with SUDs typically cycle through multiple periods
      of treatment, abstinence, and relapse over several years to achieve and maintain recovery.
      Studies show that continuing care interventions can provide ongoing support or extend primary
      treatment gains with respect to reducing substance use, relapse, and criminal activity.
      Recent diffusion of Internet and smartphone technologies among disadvantaged populations now
      offers unprecedented opportunities for increasing access to quality continuing care
      interventions as well as chronic disease self-management tools. Probationers and parolees at
      high risk for drug abuse relapse and involvement in health compromising behaviors are an
      important population that stands to benefit from continuing care technologies. However, to
      date, no such technologies exist that are specifically tailored to meet the unique needs of
      this high-risk population.

      Building on our team's extensive experience in the fields of criminology and substance use,
      we propose to complete the development of a Continuing Care mobile application (app) and
      conduct a randomized controlled trial to assess efficacy among clients on probation or parole
      who are enrolled in outpatient substance use treatment. The app is designed to meet the
      recovery and personal support needs of probationers and parolees with SUDs who are at
      elevated risk of relapse, re-arrest, and incarceration. It is guided by the principles of the
      transtheoretical model of behavior change and app content is derived from the Your Own
      Reintegration System (YOURS) program, an empirically-supported16 intervention that focuses on
      substance use recovery, reducing criminal thinking and behavior, and managing and building
      support systems. If proven to be efficacious, the app could be deployed across the national
      network of outpatient treatment providers, and be highly significant in its direct impact on
      public health.
    

Intervention name(s): digital therapeutic for substance use disorders; Treatment As Usual
Intervention type(s): Device; Other
Intervention description(s): The Continuing Care application (app) is a HIPAA-compliant, mobile-friendly, software program designed to meet the recovery and personal support needs of probationers and parolees with SUDs who are at elevated risk of relapse, re-arrest, and incarceration.; 12-weeks of weekly group cognitive behavioral therapy
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Intervention model description: The evaluation will involve a two-group RCT in which 100 men and women on probation or parole, who are currently receiving outpatient substance use treatment at THC, will be randomly assigned to one of two conditions: (1) Continuing Care app (CC app; n=50): Participants will receive the CC app, in addition to usual care at the treatment program (12-weeks of weekly group cognitive behavioral therapy), or (2) Treatment As Usual (TAU; n=50): Participants will only receive 12-weeks of weekly group cognitive behavioral therapy.
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Treatment