Using Incentives to Improve Parolee Participation and Attendance in Community Treatment

Summary

Under funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs (ISAP), in collaboration with Walden House and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, is conducting a five-year study that will involve a randomized test of the use of incentives with parolees in a community-based residential substance abuse treatment program to increase treatment admission and treatment retention, and thereby increase the likelihood of improved outcomes. Study participants will be recruited from clients in a prison-based treatment program who have a referral to the Walden House community program. The Admission Phase of the study assesses the effect of an incentive (voucher) on enrolling in the Walden House program. The Attendance Phase assesses the effect of incentives on treatment attendance and on post-treatment drug use, crime, and psychosocial behaviors, including HIV risk behaviors. In addition, an incentive protocol will test whether an incentive will encourage participation in HIV testing and counseling. The intervention will last for six months.

Hypothesis 1. The use of incentives will significantly increase subject enrollment in community treatment.

Hypothesis 2. The use of incentives will significantly increase subject retention in community treatment.

Huypothesis 3. The use of incentives will significantly increase subject participation in HIV testing and counseling.

Study participants will be interviewed at baseline and at 12 months following the intervention. Treatment and criminal justice data will be obtained. Data on acceptability, satisfaction, and sustainability will be collected from focus groups with staff and clients.

Conditions

• Substance Abuse
• HIV Infections

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Contingency management: voucher/monetary incentives for treatment attendance

Contingency management: Escalation with reset for non-attendance. Daily. Up to $841.50 in incentives for treatment attendance.

BEHAVIORAL

Information

Attendance Information Group will receive an individual information session along with a pamphlet describing the benefits of remaining in treatment after release from prison and on the benefits of HIV prevention and testing.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of California, Los Angeles

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Michael L Prendergast, Ph.D. · University of California, Los Angeles

• Elizabeth A Hall, Ph.D. · University of California, Los Angeles

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

MALE

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2010-04-30

Primary Completion

2014-01-31

Completion

2014-08-31