MedTrace Logo

Honest, Open, Proud (HOP): A Peer Delivered, Co-occurring Disorders Intervention for Justice-involved Veterans

NCT07742722 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 240

Last updated 2026-08-03

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

As many as two-thirds of Justice-involved Veterans (JIVs) have a substance-use disorder (SUD), and up to 51% have a mental health (MH) condition; however, fewer than one-third of JIVs receive MH or SUD treatment, and addressing stigma is a recommended strategy for improving Veteran willingness to engage in treatment. Honest, Open, Proud (HOP) is an evidence-based stigma reduction intervention for justice-involved Veterans that is delivered by peers, which can ultimately increase access to and engagement in care, lower rates of criminal recidivism, and improve MH and SUD outcomes. However, implementation of such interventions with high-acuity patients often requires strategies that are intensive and costly. This trial will evaluate the relative impacts and costs of using a high-intensity (vs. low-intensity) strategy to implement a peer-led, stigma reduction intervention for justice-involved Veterans with co-occurring SUD and MH disorders.

Conditions

  • Stigma
  • Co-Occurring Disorders
  • Substance Use Disorder
  • Mental Health Disorder
  • Veterans

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Veterans Affairs-Honest, Open, Proud

VA-HOP is an evidence-based, peer-delivered group intervention designed to help individuals navigate decisions about disclosure of behavioral health conditions. The intervention consists of three lessons comprising nine structured tasks that guide participants through decisions of disclosure aimed at reducing self-stigma. The goal of HOP is not to force disclosure; rather, it empowers participants to decide whether, when, and how disclosure may occur. VA-HOP is facilitated by a peer specialist with a group of 8-10 participants, and sessions can be broken down into a 45-minute weekly session for 9 weeks or 3 weekly 2 1/4-hour blocks. The first lesson covers the short- and long-term benefits and risks of disclosure and non-disclosure. The second lesson addresses the different levels of disclosure, emphasizing that disclosure exists on a continuum and can vary depending on the context and audience. The third lesson focuses on how to tell one's recovery story.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • VA Office of Research and Development

    lead FED

Principal Investigators

  • David A. Smelson, PsyD · VA Bedford HealthCare System, Bedford, MA

Study Design

Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE
Model
SEQUENTIAL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-07-01
Primary Completion
2030-06-30
Completion
2030-09-30

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

More Related Trials

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07742722 on ClinicalTrials.gov