Clinical trial NCT02990026: Specialty Mental Health Probation in North Carolina
Official title: Specialty Mental Health Probation in North Carolina
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Mental Illness
Substance Use
Criminal Behavior
Lead sponsor: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: North Carolina Department of Public Safety
First posted: 2016-12-12
Enrollment: 311
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 21
Maximum age (years): 64
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: Specialty mental health probation for offenders with severe mental illness has been widely disseminated; however, randomized studies are needed to determine its effectiveness. The purpose of the study is to test the feasibility and efficacy of specialty mental health probation (SMHP) for probationers with mental illness in North Carolina. 320 adult probationers with mental illness in will be randomly assigned to specialty mental health probation (experimental condition) or usual probation (control condition). Probationers assigned to the experimental condition will be supervised by specialty mental health probation officers, who will have reduced caseloads and advanced training in mental health and other topics. Probationers assigned to the control condition will receive standard probation. Criminal justice and mental health outcomes will be examined.

Detailed description: Specialty mental health probation for offenders with severe mental illness has been widely disseminated; however, randomized studies are needed to determine its effectiveness. The purpose of the study is to test the feasibility and efficacy of specialty mental health probation (SMHP) for probationers with mental illness in North Carolina. 320 adult probationers with severe mental illness in will be randomly assigned to receive specialty mental health probation (experimental condition) or standard probation (control condition). Probationers assigned to the experimental condition will be supervised by specialty mental health probation officers, who will have reduced caseloads and advanced training in mental health and other topics. Probationers assigned to the control condition will receive standard probation. Criminal justice and mental health outcomes will be examined.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Qualifying diagnosis of severe mental illness - schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, post-traumatic stress disorder + on probation in North Carolina + capable of passing study competency quiz administered by the research team

Exclusion Criteria:

* None

Primary outcomes:
measure: Recidivism
timeFrame: 24 months
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Mental health service engagement
timeFrame: 24 months
measure: Mental health functioning
timeFrame: 6 months
measure: Social support
timeFrame: 6 months
measure: Life events checklist
timeFrame: Baseline
measure: Substance use
timeFrame: 24 months
measure: Social network (researcher-created measure of social support network)
timeFrame: 6 months
measure: Dual Role Relationship Inventory (DRRI, standardized measure)
timeFrame: baseline, 6 months
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Chapel Hill
country: United States
facility: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
state: North Carolina
Study officials:
affiliation: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
name: Gary Cuddeback
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: