Culturally Modified Family Based Therapy for Haitian Youth in South Florida

Study Overview
=================
Brief Summary
-----------------
The Culturally Modified Family Based Therapy for Haitian Youth and Their Families in South Florida study is a unique intervention that will develop and implement a culturally-specific, integrated family and individual-based, drug use, sexual risk and delinquency risk reduction program for Haitian youth ages 13-17 in Miami-Dade County, Florida.

Detailed Description
-----------------
Haitian youth in Miami-Dade County who become part of the juvenile justice system have not received culturally appropriate remediating or rehabilitative attention by that system. This study will modify a specific variety of intervention, the Culturally Informed and Flexible Family-Based Treatment for Adolescents (CIFFTA) for appropriateness in Miami's Haitian cultural contexts. This study will develop and implement a culturally specific, integrated family and individual-based, drug use, sexual risk and delinquency risk reduction program for Haitian adolescents aged 13-17 in Miami-Dade County, Florida.

Official Title
-----------------
Culturally Modified Family Based Therapy for Haitian Youth in South Florida

Conditions
-----------------
Problem Behavior

Intervention / Treatment
-----------------
* Behavioral: Haitian youth and family intervention study: family functioning
* Behavioral: Haitian youth intervention study: youth psychoeducational
* Behavioral: Haitian family intervention study: family psychoeducational
* Behavioral: Diversion Programs


Participation Criteria
=================
Eligibility Criteria
-----------------
Inclusion Criteria : Adolescents aged 13 to 17 and their families Place of residence is Miami-Dade Has Haitian ancestry Adolescents not incarcerated No prior mental health care or history of psychoactive medication Adolescents in families who have lived in the US for 3 years Families with a range of organizational structure (nuclear and non-nuclear) Exclusion Criteria: - Youths with a documented history of mental retardation and/or organic dysfunction.

Ages Eligible for Study
-----------------
Minimum Age: 13 Years
Maximum Age: 17 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
-----------------
All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
-----------------
No

Study Plan
=================
How is the study designed?
-----------------

Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: CIFFTA<br>Family Therapy, Individual Therapy, and Psycho-educational Modules | Behavioral: Haitian youth and family intervention study: family functioning<br>* A weekly group therapy with the youth, the parents and other members of the family.<br>Behavioral: Haitian youth intervention study: youth psychoeducational<br>* Weekly one and one psychoeducational module will be delivered to the youth.<br>Behavioral: Haitian family intervention study: family psychoeducational<br>* Weekly psychoeducational module will be delivered to the family.<br>|
| Active Comparator: Standard of Care<br>The Diversion Programs used by the Juvenile Services Department in Miami-Dade. | Behavioral: Diversion Programs<br>* Youth will attend individual psychological counselling at an assigned Juvenile Services Department (JSD) diversion program.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
-----------------
Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Number of participants that completes the intervention | All the participants that complete the modules and the baseline instruments | 12 months | 
| Number of participants with sustained abstinence in substance use as assessed by biochemical verification | Participants maintain a sustained abstinence measured through biochemical verification via urine drug test. | 12 months | 
| Number of participants with sustained abstinence in substance use as assessed by self-reporting | Participants maintain a sustained abstinence measured through self-reporting | 12 months | 
| Change in family functioning assessed by the family environment scale (FES) | Improved connectivity and communication within the family system will be assess via the FES questionnaire with scales ranging from 0-26 with the highest score indicating that no further intervention is needed | baseline, 12 months | 
| Change in conduct disorder as assess by Revised Behavior Problem Checklists | Improvement in conduct disorder as assess in Revised Behavior Problem Checklists (RBPC) evaluating the severity of disorderly behavior with scales ranging from 0 to 2 (0=no problem; 1=mild problem; 2=severe problems) | baseline, 12 months | 
| Change in sexual risk behaviors as assess by the Comprehensive Adolescent Severity Inventory (CASI) | Reduction in risky sexual activities as assess by CASI using normative data-severity scores range from 0 (never) to 3 (very often) | baseline, 12 months | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Number of participants with recidivism in delinquency | Number of participants that have no report of arrests from the Juvenile Services Department | 12 months | 
| Change in family communication as assessed by Parenting Style Questionnaire (PSQ) | Change in family communication as assessed by Parenting Style Questionnaire (PSQ) with scoring ranges from 1 to 7 where 7 indicates optimum communication. | baseline, 12 months | 
| Number of participants with peer gang involvement | Number of participants with peer gang involvement self-reported | 12 months |