Reducing Parental Substance Use and Enhancing Family Resilience Among Rural Families Through Ohio START

Summary

The goal of this observational study is to learn about the roles played by parental activity spaces and social networks in reducing parental substance use and promoting child and family health outcomes in the context of Ohio START (Sobriety, Treatment, and Reducing Trauma) for families in rural areas. This study will investigate if substance use treatment service referrals and family peer mentoring services provided by Ohio START lead to positive changes in parental activity spaces and social networks, and if these positive changes lead to better child and family outcomes. The main questions it aims to answer are:

* Does having behavioral health services (referred by Ohio START workers) close to where parents spend their time help with substance use recovery and child health?
* Does peer mentor support through Ohio START help parents build stronger social connections and family resilience, and does this lead to better long-term family health?
* Do these associations differ in rural areas compared to urban areas?

Participants will:

* Answer survey questions about their substance use, parenting, child health, and family well-being across three waves (Wave 1: when they enroll in the study, Wave 2: 6-month follow-up, and Wave 3: 12-month follow-up)
* Share information about places they go regularly (such as work, stores, and healthcare visits)
* Share information about people in their support network

Conditions

• Substance Use Disorder (SUD)
• Rural Health
• Family Resilience
• Child Maltreatment
• Child Well-beiing
• Substance Use Recovery

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Ohio START (Ohio Sobriety, Treatment, and Reducing Trauma)

Ohio START launched in 2017 in response to the opioid epidemic and is led by the Public Children Services Association of Ohio (PASCO). Ohio START integrates child welfare and substance use treatment systems to enhance access to treatment for parents who come into the child welfare system with addictions. Ohio START capitalizes on collaboration between the child welfare system and behavioral health providers in order to reduce parent wait times for treatment for referrals, increase parent engagement and retention in treatment, and enhance coordination of resources and support for parents and children. Another key aspect of START is the use of family peer mentors as a social network intervention. Parents are paired with family peer mentors who, through weekly visits, support participating families and enhance coordination of resources. Family peer mentors are required to have a minimum of a weekly face-to-face visit with parents for 90 days.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

  collaborator NIH

• University of Michigan

  collaborator OTHER

• Ohio State University

  lead OTHER

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-04-27

Primary Completion

2028-02-28

Completion

2030-08-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations