WORTH Paths Intervention

Summary

Women in the criminal legal system are more likely to experience substance use disorders and unintended pregnancy than women in the general public. However, they often face barriers to accessing substance use treatment and sexual and reproductive health services.

This study tests the feasibility and acceptability of Women on the Road to Health (WORTH) Promoting Access to Treatment, Health, and Support (Paths), a digital intervention adapted from the evidence-based CDC Best Practice HIV prevention intervention, Women on the Road to Health (WORTH), originally developed at Columbia University School of Social Work. WORTH Paths is designed to help reproductive-aged women in the criminal legal system with substance use disorders and unmet need for contraception reduce drug use and improve contraceptive use.

Participants (N=50) will be randomly assigned to one of two groups:

WORTH Paths Intervention Group - Participants will attend three virtual group sessions with facilitated videoconference sessions and self-paced digital activities focused on reducing drug use and increasing contraceptive use. They will also receive guidance on how to access and navigate health services.

Control Group - Participants will receive a virtual general wellness program that includes education on substance use and sexual and reproductive health but does not include skills-based training related to these topics. The focus will be on general wellness and stress reduction.

Both groups will receive resources for substance use treatment and sexual and reproductive health services.

Researchers will track changes in drug use and contraceptive use over three months. Participants will complete surveys and provide urine samples to confirm changes in drug use.

Primary aims:

Feasibility: Measured by session attendance, treatment completion, dropouts, and reasons for termination.

Acceptability: Measured by participant ease of use, helpfulness, and satisfaction.

Primary behavioral outcomes:

Self-reported drug use confirmed by urine drug tests. Contraceptive use, including initiation and consistent use.

Secondary behavioral outcome:

Linkage to substance use disorder treatment (measured by appointments made and sessions attended).

Conditions

• Substance Use Disorder (SUD)
• Sexual and Reproductive Health
• Sexual Risk Behavior

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

WORTH Paths Digital Intervention

Participants in this arm will receive the WORTH Paths digital intervention, a culturally tailored program designed for women involved in the criminal legal system with substance use disorders and unmet contraceptive needs. The intervention consists of three facilitated group sessions over videoconference with digital interactive activities to support behavior change.

BEHAVIORAL

WORTH Paths Wellness Group

A wellness-focused intervention consisting of three facilitated group sessions over videoconference with digital interactive activities. Sessions cover general health, stress reduction, and navigating health services, including education about substance use and sexual/reproductive health risks, guided meditation, stress management techniques, and an overview of available health services. Participants also receive digital wellness resources, including recorded mindfulness exercises and links to online health service platforms.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

  collaborator NIH

• Fairleigh Dickinson University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Melissa N Slavin, PhD · Fairleigh Dickinson University

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

44 Years

Sex

FEMALE

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-08-12

Primary Completion

2026-09-01

Completion

2026-12-01

Countries

• United States

Study Locations