TechMPower: Advancing HIV/SUD Care and Service Delivery for People in Re-entry

NCT07088770 | Completed

• 2 other identifiers: AAAV14681R61DA060620-01
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 65
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical study in one NY county is to pilot and refine implementation strategies aimed at improving delivery and uptake of evidence-based practices (EBPs) for HIV prevention/treatment and substance use disorder (SUD) care among incarcerated individuals approaching release with or at risk for HIV and SUD. The main questions it aims to answer are:

• R61 \| Aim 1: Evaluate \\ preliminary effectiveness of TechMPower, using mixed methods and a pre-/post-evaluation design, on increasing reach of the EBPs resulting in the following outcomes: (1) SUD and HIV screenings (pre-/post-release); and (2) linkage to SUD prevention/care (MOUD, OEND); and (3) linkage to HIV prevention/care (applying a status-neutral approach) with community service providers post-release. (Effectiveness).
• R61 \| Aim 2: Identify how adoption/feasibility, implementation/fidelity and sustainability/maintenance of TechMPower may impact effectiveness of TechMPower outcomes as described in Aim 1 in one (Ulster County) jail using surveys of Implementation Team, jail staff and other key stakeholders. (Implementation)
• R61 \| Aim 3: Use implementation mapping to adapt implementation strategies for R33 phase. (Implementation)

Conditions

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus); Substance Abuse Disorder

Keywords

People incarcerated in re-entry; HIV testing; Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment; Implementation strategies; Implementation team with champion; Navigation case management; Coalition; Techmediated

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (5)

• Number of people incarcerated who have received an HIV test

  This is to measure HIV testing (including self-testing) at jail. The number of participants that report in survey at least 1 testing will be tallied. Aggregate reporting on testing from facility will be captured for triangulation.

  Baseline and 3 months follow-up

• Number of people detained screened for SBIRT

  This is to measure the feasibility, efficacy of Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to treatment (SBIRT) for SUD at jail. The number of participants that report in survey receiving SBIRT will be tallied. Aggregate reporting on SBIRT from facility will be captured for triangulation.

  Baseline and 3 months follow-up

• HIV care access & utilization/ART Use/adherence/viral load/CD4 count

  Service Use Measure: at least one visit to HIV-focused medical at clinic post release. The number of participants that report in surveys receiving HIV treatment will be tallied. Aggregate reporting on HIV treatment from facility referrals will be captured for triangulation.

  3-month following pos test result, pre- post release

• Average PrEP oral daily/injectable/episodic PrEP captured in records/chart review; ACASI self-report

  This is to measure PrEP use, adherence \& discontinuation

  Baseline and 3 months follow-up

• PEP uptake rate

  This is to measure PEP use by seeing the uptake: starter pack \& full treatment provision/fulfillment and adherence, PEP to PrEP transition

  Baseline and 3 months follow-up

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Number of clients referred and assessed for NCM

  Baseline and 6 months

• Number of people incarcerated receiving OEND

  Baseline and 3 months follow-up

• Number of staff receiving training on TechMPower integrated SUD/HIV service delivery

  Baseline and 6 months follow up

Study Arms (1)

TechMPower Implementation Strategies

EXPERIMENTAL

TechMPower applies evidence-based Implementation Strategies, including: A) data-driven, Community Coalitions and criminal legal system (CLS) focused workgroup informed by the HEALing Communities Study (HCS) Communities That HEAL(CTH intervention); B) Implementation Team led by champions; C) training on optimal person-centered service delivery for service providers/organizations; and D) tech-mediated service delivery, technical assistance, and training to increase: 1) HIV screening/testing via self-testing; 2) SUD screening, brief interview and referral to treatment (SBIRT); and 3) access to and uptake of biomedical HIV and SUD prevention and treatment (PrEP/PEP/ART); overdose education/naloxone distribution \[OEND\], opioid use disorder medication \[MOUD\]) delivered through 4) hybrid linkage (telehealth, face-to-face) to services via Navigation Enhanced Case Management (NCM).

Behavioral: Community Coalition CLS Workgroup/Network of Providers; Behavioral: Tech-mediated Training and Service Delivery; Behavioral: Multidisciplinary Implementation Team with Champion; Behavioral: Tech-mediated Peer Navigation Enhanced Case management (NCM)

Interventions

Community Coalition CLS Workgroup/Network of Providers BEHAVIORAL

Community Coalition/Network of Providers TechMPower forms the foundation of community engagement in this approach, with membership including PLWH and SUD, sheriffs, within-jail staff, community service providers or other partners who are able to advance the adoption of EBPs within jail and service settings. All coalitions are trained and prepared to drive a planning process at the local level for efficient identification and allocation of resources needed to link people from CLS to a network of community providers for HIV and SUD care and retention. Community coalitions integrate evidence-based (ERIC) strategies: Build coalition; Promote network weaving; Identify/train champions; Conduct consensus discussions that support needed services.

TechMPower Implementation Strategies

Multidisciplinary Implementation Team with Champion BEHAVIORAL

The multidisciplinary Implementation Team will be comprised of a correctional health nurse, social worker and discharge planner or counselor and corrections officer from the jail. A representative from the community coalition and peer and case manager from NCM will join the team using a tech-mediated platform for conducting the training and for on-going weekly case conferencing addressing system and client level barriers and service planning. The role of the champion from the correctional setting will be to convene meetings focused on fidelity to the intervention components, engagement in shared problem-solving and mediation of administrative issues that may inhibit effective implementation of TechMPower. The champion and implementation team may request technical assistance (TA) or implementation facilitation at any point during implementation. This TA may be provided by the investigative team or outside providers from federal programs.

TechMPower Implementation Strategies

Tech-mediated Peer Navigation Enhanced Case management (NCM) BEHAVIORAL

Navigation-Enhanced Case Management (NCM) uses Project START, a CDC best evidence intervention as its HIV risk reduction framework. Prior to release, a case manager and peer navigator via telehealth and in-person provide discharge planning and patient education and serves as a liaison to the courts. After release, patient navigators facilitate reentry into community care and provide referrals to HIV medical and SUD care as appropriate (e.g., ART, PrEP, MOUD) and assistance with food, housing, transportation, employment, substance dependence, mental health treatment, and legal issues. TechMPower planned to enhance tracking of linkage during NCM services by integrating reporting along with a web-based platform that tracks assignment of providers and peers and follows for 6 months to capture PRISM linkage and retention in MOUD, HIV and ancillary care.

TechMPower Implementation Strategies

Tech-mediated Training and Service Delivery BEHAVIORAL

Researchers will train all staff, healthcare providers and peer navigators to recognize and reduce stigma in CLS and healthcare settings using a training program informed by MPI Frye and colleagues in the CHHANGE (MH102182-01) intervention, which developed an anti-intersectional stigma training program for CBOs and offers comprehensive training to healthcare and social service organizations. Additionally, researchers will train staff and support protocol enhancements as needed to utilize tech mediated service delivery for NCM in-reach and services coordination in the community. These integrate 5 evidence-based (ERIC) implementation strategies: promote consultation; provide clinical/technical supervision; centralize technical assistance; change physical structure and equipment.

TechMPower Implementation Strategies

Eligibility Criteria

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

You may qualify if:

• ≥18 years old
• speaks and understands English
• report using any illicit drug, in the six months prior to incarceration
• report having had condomless receptive and/or insertive vaginal and/or anal sex without either condom use, AND/OR report another HIV risk in the six months prior to incarceration (i.e. shared syringes, STI+)D
• likely to be released in the next 1-3 months

You may not qualify if:

• evidence of significant psychiatric or cognitive impairment that would limit effective participation as confirmed during informed consent assessed during informed consent or confirmed by the MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool
• not fluent in English

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Columbia University: lead
• National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): collaborator
• University of Pennsylvania: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Ulster County Jail

Kingston, New York, 12401, United States

Location

Related Links

• NIDA funded four major multisite initiatives to address the myriad issues at the intersection of the criminal justice system and substance use and misuse. These initiatives include: Collaborative Network to End the HIV Epidemic and Address Addiction

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Substance-Related Disorders

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

HIV Infections; Blood-Borne Infections; Communicable Diseases; Infections; Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral; Sexually Transmitted Diseases; Lentivirus Infections; Retroviridae Infections; RNA Virus Infections; Virus Diseases; Slow Virus Diseases; Genital Diseases; Urogenital Diseases; Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes; Immune System Diseases; Chemically-Induced Disorders; Mental Disorders

Study Officials

• Timothy L Hunt, MSW, PhD

  Columbia University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Victoria A Frye, MPH, DrPH

  Columbia University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Nabila El-Bassel, PhD

  Columbia University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Research Scientist in the Faculty of Social Work

Model Details: TechMPower, informed by PRISM1/RE-AIM implementation science framework, is an intervention that bundles implementation strategies for correctional settings designed to increase delivery of evidence-based practices (EBPs) to prevent adverse HIV-related (new infections, untreated HIV) and SUD-related outcomes (fatal and non-fatal overdose) among individuals detained in jails and reentering the community. The selected EBPs act to increase: 1) HIV screening via universal rapid point-of-care ( POC) testing (policy/practice change in some jail settings) and self-testing education (WHO universal testing/self-testing; 2) Substance Use Disorder (SUD) screening (via universal SBIRT); and 3) linkage to HIV and SUD care/prevention services supported by Navigation Enhanced Case Management (NCM) using hybrid communication (telehealth/tele-harm reduction, video-conference, face-to-face, text/SMS, etc.) approaches.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 19, 2025
• First Posted: July 28, 2025
• Study Start: November 22, 2024
• Primary Completion: September 30, 2025
• Study Completion: September 30, 2025
• Last Updated: February 18, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-02

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)