NCT01891656

Brief Summary

Substance abuse treatment in the criminal justice system can reduce drug use and related criminal behavior. Although drug and alcohol treatment are common mandates in criminal justice programs, only a minority of clients actually initiate treatment. This proposal will compare two intervention formats that target motivation to initiate and engage in treatment among a group of probationers who have drug or alcohol treatment conditions. Six hundred drug and alcohol offenders in two probation sites (Baltimore, MD and Dallas, TX) will be randomized to receive: 1) an in-person motivational interviewing session (MI), 2) a motivational computer program (MC), or 3) supervision intake and monitoring as usual (SAU). The MI condition will be structured along the lines of the "Check-Up" format which consists of an assessment and personalized feedback delivered in an MI style; the content of the MC condition will be drawn from previous literature on effective motivational computer programs. Both interventions will be delivered at the start of the probation process, with follow-up assessments at 2 and 6 months. Primary outcomes include engagement and participation in substance abuse treatment; secondary outcomes include drug and alcohol use, probation progress, criminal behavior, and HIV testing and care. This project will be the first to develop and test two interventions for encouraging criminal justice clients to follow through with treatment recommendations, with the goal of increasing treatment initiation, and reducing subsequent drug use and criminal behavior. It also contributes to ongoing partnerships with two large probation agencies-the Dallas County Supervision and Corrections Department and the Maryland Division of Parole and Probation.

Trial Health

87
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
380

participants targeted

Target at P75+ for not_applicable

Timeline
Completed

Started Jun 2012

Longer than P75 for not_applicable

Geographic Reach
1 country

2 active sites

Status
completed

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

October 18, 2011

Completed
8 months until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

June 1, 2012

Completed
1.1 years until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

July 3, 2013

Completed
1.9 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

June 1, 2015

Completed
8 months until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

February 1, 2016

Completed
Last Updated

April 13, 2016

Status Verified

April 1, 2016

Enrollment Period

3 years

First QC Date

October 18, 2011

Last Update Submit

April 11, 2016

Conditions

Substance-Related Disorders

Keywords

Motivational InterviewingInternetTreatmentSubstance-Related DisordersCriminal Justice

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • Treatment Progress

    Treatment progress assesses initiation, engagement and retention at 2 and 6 months via telephone. In-person visits are assessed at baseline and during a 6 month visit.

    6 months

Secondary Outcomes (3)

  • Drug and Alcohol Use

    6 months

  • Probation Progress

    6 months

  • Criminal Behavior

    6 months

Study Arms (3)

Motivational Interviewing

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants randomized to the MI group will receive a single 60-minute MI session focused on motivation to initiate and engage in treatment. The MI session will be organized around the "Check-Up" format, with additional planning components as desired by the client.

Behavioral: Motivational Interviewing

Supervision As Usual

NO INTERVENTION

Participants randomized to the SAU group will receive the standard agency intake process as well as baseline and follow-up research interviews, but will not receive any additional intervention as part of the study. They will be referred to a treatment program as per the normal routine.

Motivational Computer

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants randomized to the MC group will complete a 60 minute computer intervention focused on motivation to initiate and engage in treatment. The program will be self-guided, interactive, and to the extent possible, will mirror the features of MI session. The MC program will have two main components: a motivation component and a planning component.

Behavioral: Motivational Computer

Interventions

Motivational InterviewingBEHAVIORAL

MI is a "client centered, directive style of interacting with a person to help explore and resolve ambivalence about change" (Miller \& Rollnick, 2002). MI borrows from Client-Centered Counseling in its emphasis on empathy, optimism, and respect for client choice (Rogers, 1961). MI also draws from Self-Perception Theory, which says that a person becomes more or less committed to an action based on the verbal stance he or she takes (Bem, 1972). The effects of MI tend to be in the small-to-medium range when compared to no treatment, and nonsignificant when compared to more extensive treatment.

Also known as: Motivational Enhancement Therapy
Motivational Interviewing
Motivational ComputerBEHAVIORAL

The growing use of technology has led to the development of automated interventions for behavior change, including some that target drug and alcohol use (Elliott, et al, 2008; Lustria, et al, 2009; Revere \& Dunbar, 2001; Walters, et al, 2006) and treatment interest (Lieberman \& Massey, 2008). As discussed by Hester \& Miller (2006), automated interventions have several potential advantages over face-to-face interventions: (I) They require little or no staff contact, which may increase cost-effectiveness; (2) they can allow for automatic data collection and follow-up; and (3) they can be disseminated with little loss of fidelity.

Also known as: Web-Based Interventions
Motivational Computer

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years+
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • \>=18 years old
  • Drug or Alcohol use in the last 90 days

You may not qualify if:

  • \<18 years old
  • Cannot speak English
  • Already participate in a substance abuse treatment

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (2)

University of North Texas Health Science Center

Fort Worth, Texas, 76107, United States

Location

George Mason University

Fairfax, Virginia, 22030, United States

Location

Related Publications (6)

  • Walters ST, Ondersma SJ, Ingersoll KS, Rodriguez M, Lerch J, Rossheim ME, Taxman FS. MAPIT: development of a web-based intervention targeting substance abuse treatment in the criminal justice system. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2014 Jan;46(1):60-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jsat.2013.07.003. Epub 2013 Aug 16.

    PMID: 23954392BACKGROUND

  • Reingle Gonzalez JM, Walters ST, Lerch J, Taxman FS. The Relationship Between Drug Use, Drug-related Arrests, and Chronic Pain Among Adults on Probation. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2015 Jun;53:33-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jsat.2014.12.005. Epub 2014 Dec 30.

    PMID: 25595302RESULT

  • Rodriguez M, Walters ST, Houck JM, Ortiz JA, Taxman FS. The language of change among criminal justice clients: Counselor language, client language, and client substance use outcomes. J Clin Psychol. 2018 Apr;74(4):626-636. doi: 10.1002/jclp.22534. Epub 2017 Sep 22.

    PMID: 28940435DERIVED

  • Lerch J, Walters ST, Tang L, Taxman FS. Effectiveness of a computerized motivational intervention on treatment initiation and substance use: Results from a randomized trial. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2017 Sep;80:59-66. doi: 10.1016/j.jsat.2017.07.002. Epub 2017 Jul 6.

    PMID: 28755774DERIVED

  • Spohr SA, Taxman FS, Rodriguez M, Walters ST. Motivational Interviewing Fidelity in a Community Corrections Setting: Treatment Initiation and Subsequent Drug Use. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2016 Jun;65:20-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jsat.2015.07.012. Epub 2015 Jul 29.

    PMID: 26365536DERIVED

  • Taxman FS, Walters ST, Sloas LB, Lerch J, Rodriguez M. Motivational tools to improve probationer treatment outcomes. Contemp Clin Trials. 2015 Jul;43:120-8. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2015.05.016. Epub 2015 May 22.

    PMID: 26009023DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Substance-Related Disorders

Interventions

Motivational Interviewing

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Chemically-Induced DisordersMental Disorders

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Directive CounselingCounselingMental Health ServicesBehavioral Disciplines and ActivitiesHealth ServicesHealth Care Facilities Workforce and Services

Study Officials

  • Scott T Walters, PhD

    UNT Health Science Center

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
NONE
Purpose
TREATMENT
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

October 18, 2011

First Posted

July 3, 2013

Study Start

June 1, 2012

Primary Completion

June 1, 2015

Study Completion

February 1, 2016

Last Updated

April 13, 2016

Record last verified: 2016-04

Data Sharing

IPD Sharing
Will not share

Locations

US(2)