Removing Barriers: Community Partnering for Innovative Solutions to the Opioid Crisis

Part of paid clinical trials in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Sponsor
University of Michigan
Study ID
NCT05665179
Status
Recruiting
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Conditions

  • Alcohol Use Disorder
  • Criminal Behavior
  • Health Risk Behaviors
  • Housing Problems
  • Opioid Use Disorder
  • Overdose of Opiate

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
18 Years - N/A
Healthy Volunteers
Not accepted

Interventions

  • Removing Barriers to Recovery — BEHAVIORAL
    Experimental patients are provided no-cost legal services in-person at addiction treatment centers using an online platform

Study Details

The opioid epidemic has become one of America's deadliest crises, surpassing car crashes, firearms, and HIV/AIDS as a leading cause of death for Americans under fifty years of age. People trying to recover from opioid-use disorder face many obstacles. Obstacles such as minor legal problems (e.g., arrest warrants for failure to pay a fine, failure to appear in court, or late child support payments) can undermine the stability needed to overcome opioid dependence. Outstanding legal obligations make it difficult to find jobs and to secure housing. They can result in removal from treatment programs as well as incarceration. Resolving these legal problems requires coordination, organization, preparation, travel, and time-expectations that may be problematic for many people in the early stages of recovery. Technology has the potential to make resolving these legal problems much easier. Online platform technology is now available that can guide people in recovery through the resolution of many legal problems at no cost and without an attorney, potentially doing so quickly, remotely, and at any time of day. This study of individuals in treatment in Michigan tests whether resolving outstanding legal issues improves drug treatment outcomes. The research also examines whether and to what extent resolving legal issues supports family reunification, reduces future criminal behavior, and improves access to jobs and housing for clients in treatment for opioid use disorder. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) is used to determine the effects of resolving legal issues on these outcomes. For identification, the investigators leverage the random assignment of legal services to treatment center clients, along with the random assignment of clients to treatment centers by birth month. We assemble a novel longitudinal dataset of hundreds of clients in treatment for substance use disorder and link these clients to several administrative datasets and qualitative data, which allows for measurement of: (1) substance use behaviors and (2) justice-system involvement, including civil and criminal legal system encounters. This study also uses linked client and administrative data to research the population in opioid treatment centers, follow-up behaviors, and whether the consequences of providing no-cost legal services differ by client background. Findings from this research will improve America's understanding of the acute socio-legal needs faced by those experiencing opioid use disorder and provide recommendations to help target resources toward the areas that best support long-term abstinence from opioids and other drugs.

Key Dates

Start date
Dec 23, 2021
Status verified
Nov 2024
Primary completion
Jul 31, 2025
Completion
Jul 31, 2025

Study Design

Enrollment
800 participants (estimated)
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Arms

  • Experimental: Treatment
    Receives tutorial for free online legal resolution at treatment center
  • No Intervention: Control
    The control group is not provided the experimental intervention.

Primary Outcome Measure

Frequency of substance misuse [ Time Frame: 1 year ]

Central Contacts

Locations (2)

FacilityCityStateZIPSite coordinators
Home of New VisionAnn ArborMichigan48104
Glynis Anderson, LMSW, ACSW
[email protected]
734-975-1602
David Cordova, PhD
Dawn FarmYpsilantiMichigan48197
Raymond Dalton
[email protected]
(734) 485-8725
Stacey Hayes
[email protected]
(734) 485-8725
David Cordova, PhD

Find similar trials in Ann Arbor, MI

By condition
Substance use disorder
By specialty
Behavioral healthAddiction medicine
By research site
Home of New Vision· Ann Arbor, MIDawn Farm· Ypsilanti, MI

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