Recruiting

Peer Recovery Coaching

Sponsor:

Clemson University

Code:

NCT06479681

Conditions

Alcohol Use Disorder

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 70+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Peer recovery coaching (PRC)

Brief Intervention (SBIRT)

Study Details

Brief summary:

The project objective is to rigorously evaluate the effectiveness of a peer recovery coaching intervention (called RC-Link) in patients hospitalized with medical complications from alcohol use on recovery outcomes guided by the new NIAAA definition of recovery, examine mechanisms of heavy drinking using daily ecological momentary assessment (EMA), and determine the program's cost-effectiveness using an randomized controlled trial (RCT) design. The primary outcomes are frequency of heavy drinking, biopsychosocial functioning, and remission from AUD.

Conditions

Alcohol Use Disorder

Study ID

NCT06479681

Start date

Apr 25, 2024

Status verified date

Aug, 2025

Completion date

Jun 2, 2028

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Feb 1, 2028

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 70+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Live within 50 miles of the recruitment and plan to stay in the area for at least 6 months
  • Current DSM-V criteria for moderate or severe AUD (measured by a score of ≥4 on the DSM-V Checklist)
  • Hospitalized with a principal, primary, or secondary AUD-related diagnosis

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Unable to provide informed consent
  • Patients referred to hospice during hospitalization
  • Women who are pregnant
  • Comorbid diagnosis or at-risk for methamphetamine, cocaine, or opioid use disorder as determined by a score of ≥4 on the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Modified Assist v3.0
  • Current suicidal ideation
  • Incarcerated at time of hospitalization
  • Currently has a peer recovery coach
  • Toxicology screen positive for opiates, cocaine, or methamphetamine
  • Experiencing moderate/severe alcohol withdrawal based on physician assessment
  • Psychotic disorders or bipolar disorder documented in chart

Study Design

Enrollment

750 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Long-term peer recovery coaching intervention

bedside peer recovery coaching + 6-months long-term engagement

active comparator: SBIRT Intervention

The control will receive a brief intervention, usual care (a referral list), contact information for the study team and hospital case management, and a follow-up contact at the end of the study period.

Interventions

Peer recovery coaching (PRC)

The RC-Link peer recovery coaching intervention provides participants with an introduction to an RC-Link coach during their hospitalization. The RC-Link coach delivers coaching and support services for a 6-month period using a standardized PRC Checklist. During the baseline visit, the RC-Link coach first develops a personalized recovery plan with the participant that emphasizes multiple pathways to recovery, including different types of mutual aid groups, counseling, and alternative recovery tools. The approach empowers the participant with an actionable recovery plan that can be initiated upon discharge, but the plan can be modified as changes arise. After the initial baseline encounter, the RC-Link coach initiates phone, virtual, and/or in-person contact with the participant a minimum of twice weekly using the PRC Checklist to standardize service delivery.

Brief Intervention (SBIRT)

The control will receive a brief intervention, usual care (a referral list), contact information for the study team and hospital case management, and a follow-up contact at the end of the study period. The brief intervention entails (a) using motivational interviewing to gauge the individual's perspective of drinking, how it influences their life, and readiness for change; (b) provide information about the risks of hazardous drinking and potential ways to reduce drinking; (c) elicit their feedback; listen to their concerns; offer encouragement; encourage them to establish goals for behavior change; and (d) provide resources for change (e.g., the referral list). The referral list includes contact information for no-cost peer recovery coach through FAVOR that the participant could choose to call via self-referral. Thus, control participants are able to be linked to PRC, but they must initiate the call and initial visit outside the hospital setting.

Primary outcome measure

  • Change in Percentage of Heavy Drinking Days Per Month [ Time Frame: one-month, 3-months, 6-months ]
  • Remission from Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) AUD Diagnosis [ Time Frame: one-month, 3-months, 6-months, 12-months ]
  • Change in Biopsychosocial Functioning [ Time Frame: one-month, 3-months, 6-months ]
  • Cost Effectiveness [ Time Frame: 6-months ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Kaileigh Byrne, PhD

864-656-3935kaileib@clemson.edu

Alain Litwin, MD

864-430-0911alain.litwin@prismahealth.org

Locations

Greenville Memorial Hospital

Recruiting

Greenville, South Carolina, United States, 29605

Contacts

Kaileigh Byrne, PhD

864-656-3935kaileib@clemson.edu

Alain Litwin, MD

864-430-0911alain.litwin@prismahealth.org

Oconee Memorial Hospital

Recruiting

Seneca, South Carolina, United States, 29672

Contacts

Kaileigh Byrne, PhD

3153504368kaileib@clemson.edu

More Information

Sponsor

Clemson University

Last update posted

Aug 27, 2025

Last verified

Aug, 2025

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Clemson University on 2025-08-27.