Recruiting

PCHW Evaluation

Sponsor:

UCLA

Code:

NCT06320015

Conditions

Substance Use Disorders

Overdose

Opioid Use Disorder

Alcohol Use Disorder

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Interventions

Substance Misuse Assistance Response Team (SMART)

Usual Care Group

Study Details

Brief summary:

This is an observational, prospective case-control study evaluating the effects of an emergency department community health worker-peer recovery specialist program (PCHW), the Substance Misuse Assistance Response Team (SMART). Aims of this study are to 1) understand participant experiences working with a SMART PCHW and identify possible mechanisms for successful recovery linkage; 2) Evaluate SMART effectiveness on patient-centered outcomes, building recovery capital, and recovery linkage; 3) Evaluate SMART implementation and effectiveness on patient outcomes over time.

Using a combination of surveys and data linkages to state administrative databases, study investigators will prospectively compare changes in addiction treatment engagement, recovery capital, health related social needs, acute care utilization, and death between people receiving a ED PCHW and those who do not. After consenting to study participation, participants will complete surveys at time of study enrollment and 3 and 6 months after their initial ED visit. Primary outcomes include engagement in addiction treatment, social services engagement, acute care utilization, and mortality will be assessed through linkages to state administrative databases.

Conditions

Substance Use Disorders

Overdose

Opioid Use Disorder

Alcohol Use Disorder

Study ID

NCT06320015

Start date

Jul 1, 2024

Status verified date

Sep, 2025

Completion date

Oct, 2026

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Sep, 2026

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Adults 18 years old or older
2. Seen and treated at Rhode Island or The Miriam Hospital ED for a substance use-related concern including intoxication, withdrawal, opioid overdose, opioid withdrawal, or substance use-related infection
3. Able to provide informed consent
4. Able to provide at least two forms of contact (personal phone, social media, email, or contact information for family or friends)
5. Participants may speak languages other than English but require use of interpreter services. Consents will be available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, the three most spoken languages in the Providence metropolitan area.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Unable to provide informed consent
2. In police custody, incarcerated, or have a court ordered treatment enrollment

Study Design

Enrollment

400 participants

Anticipated

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

SMART Participant

Emergency department patients at with a substance use disorder who have received SMART services

Usual Care

Emergency department patients with a substance use disorder who have not received SMART services

Interventions

Substance Misuse Assistance Response Team (SMART)

The study intervention is engagement with a Substance Misuse Assistance Response Team (SMART) community health worker-peer recovery specialist (PCHW). SMART PCHWs engage ED patients with substance use disorders and facilitates ED services provision and linkages to outpatient care. Services provided include supporting ED initiation of buprenorphine, harm reduction services, social services (transportation, housing assistance, etc.), and engagement in peer recovery, behavioral health services, and addiction treatment services. Services are provided at the time of the ED visit. A subgroup of patients is provided short term case management and outpatient services navigation depending on PCHW caseload availability and individual needs.

Usual Care Group

Patient not seen by a SMART community health worker in the emergency department. Care and treatment referral at discretion of emergency department treating team.

Primary outcome measure

  • Treatment engagement [ Time Frame: Will compare differences in treatment engagement between study arms 3 and 6 months after study enrollment. ]
  • Recovery Capital [ Time Frame: Will compare differences in treatment engagement between study arms 3 and 6 months after study enrollment. ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Ashley Gaipo

(401) 444-3374agaipo@lifespan.org

Locations

Rhode Island Hospital

Recruiting

Providence, Rhode Island, United States, 02903

Contacts

Ashley Gaipo

(401) 444-3374agaipo@lifespan.org

Principal Investigator:

Taneisha Wilson, MD

More Information

Sponsor

University of California, Los Angeles

Last update posted

Oct 6, 2025

Last verified

Sep, 2025

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-10-09. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by University of California, Los Angeles on 2025-10-06. Recruitment status is synced daily from ClinicalTrials.gov and may not reflect the sponsor's current status. Confirm during your call.