Increasing Caregiver Engagement in Juvenile Drug Courts

NCT03051997 | Completed Results

• 1 other identifier: R01MD011322
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 53
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to test a prize-based contingency management intervention for increasing caregiver engagement in juvenile drug court and adolescent drug treatment, and for achieving the ultimate outcomes of reduced substance use and delinquent behavior among drug court-involved youth.

Conditions

Substance Abuse

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Number of Participants With Positive Urine Drug Screens at 5 Months Post-baseline

  This measure reflects the number of positive urine drug screens for THC, amphetamines, methamphetamines, opiates, cocaine, benzodiazepines, MDMA, and oxycodone collected from youth participants. Assessed at baseline and 5 months; data reported for 5-month time point

  Baseline to 5 months

• Frequency of Substance Use and Substance-related Problems Self-reported by Youth on the Global Appraisal of Individual Needs.

  The GAIN Substance Frequency Scale assesses frequency of substance use over the past 90 days. Scores range from 0 (no use) to 90 (daily use). Higher scores indicate greater substance use severity.

  Baseline, 5 months

Secondary Outcomes (15)

• Changes From Baseline to 18 Months Post-baseline in Youth Arrests, Charges, and Convictions.

  Baseline to 18 months

• Changes From Baseline to 18 Months Post-baseline in Youth Delinquent Behaviors (Measured at 0, 3, 5, 6, 9, 12, and 18 Months).

  Baseline to 18 months

• Changes From Baseline to 18 Months Post-baseline in Caregiver Reports on Youth Internalizing Symptoms and Externalizing Behaviors (Measured at 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 12, and 18 Months).

  Baseline to 18 months

• Changes From Baseline to 18 Months Post-baseline in Youth Reports on Youth Internalizing Symptoms and Externalizing Behaviors (Measured at 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 12, and 18 Months).

  Baseline to 18 months

• Changes From Baseline to Post-treatment in Caregiver Substance Use Problems.

  Baseline through treatment completion, an average of 4 months

Study Arms (2)

Caregiver Contingency Management + Usual Drug Court Treatment

EXPERIMENTAL

This group will receive a caregiver contingency management intervention plus the standard outpatient substance abuse treatment services provided at JDC.

Behavioral: Caregiver Contingency Management + Usual Drug Court Treatment

Usual Drug Court Treatment

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

This group will receive the standard outpatient substance abuse treatment services provided at JDC.

Behavioral: Usual Drug Court Treatment

Interventions

Usual Drug Court Treatment BEHAVIORAL

Standard outpatient substance abuse treatment services that a young person would receive while participating in JDC.

Usual Drug Court Treatment

Caregiver Contingency Management + Usual Drug Court Treatment BEHAVIORAL

In addition to receiving JDC treatment as usual described below, caregiver participants will receive prize draws for engaging in activities consistent with their adolescents' successful completion of the JDC program during the time the youth is actively involved in JDC and substance abuse treatment. Specific activities that may be reinforced include: attendance at drug court hearings; accompanying the youth to probation meetings; participating in home visits; attendance at the youth's drug treatment sessions; attendance at mental health provider meetings; attending groups for parents of youth with substance abuse issues; and completing other verifiable treatment-related activities. All activities will meet the goals of (directly or indirectly) enhancing caregiver participation in the JDC and/or treatment process. Caregivers will receive escalating chances for tangible reinforcers each week for completing up to 3 of the activities agreed upon by the caregiver and the therapist.

Caregiver Contingency Management + Usual Drug Court Treatment

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 13 Years - 89 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Involved in juvenile drug court
• Aged 13-17 years
• Youth is willing to participate
• At least one caregiver is willing to participate in the youth's treatment
• Fluent in English or Spanish

You may not qualify if:

• Diagnosed with intellectual disability or autism spectrum disorder
• Caregiver of youth involved in juvenile drug court
• Caregiver is willing to participate
• Fluent in English or Spanish
• Diagnosed with intellectual disability or autism spectrum disorder
• Providing substance abuse treatment to a youth in juvenile drug court
• None
• Personnel working in juvenile drug court
• None

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Medical University of South Carolina: lead
• Wayne State University: collaborator
• Alliant International University: collaborator
• Baylor University: collaborator
• National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD): collaborator

Study Sites (2)

Montgomer County Juvenile Court, 380 West Second Street

Dayton, Ohio, 45422, United States

Location

Nueces County Juvenile Court/Juvenile Treatment Court

Corpus Christi, Texas, 78415, United States

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Ledgerwood DM, Cunningham PB. Juvenile Drug Treatment Court. Pediatr Clin North Am. 2019 Dec;66(6):1193-1202. doi: 10.1016/j.pcl.2019.08.011.

  PMID: 31679607 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Substance-Related Disorders

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Chemically-Induced Disorders; Mental Disorders

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Professor
• Organization: Medcial University of South Carolina

cunninpb@musc.edu

843-876-1840

Study Officials

• Phillippe Cunningham, Ph.D.

  Medical University of South Carolina

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• David Ledgerwood, Ph.D.

  Wayne State University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Stacy Ryan, Ph.D.

  The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

  STUDY DIRECTOR

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: No
• Restrictive Agreement: No

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 8, 2017
• First Posted: February 14, 2017
• Study Start: October 13, 2017
• Primary Completion: December 12, 2023
• Study Completion: December 12, 2024
• Last Updated: December 8, 2025
• Results First Posted: December 8, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-11

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (2)