Enhancing Delivery of Parenting Support Within a Peer Recovery Support Service Model

Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the effectiveness and implementation of Relational Health Enhanced Parenting Support (RHEP), an implementation strategy designed to improve delivery of evidence-based parenting support within family-focused peer recovery support services (PRSS), for parents with substance use disorders (SUDs) receiving services through the FIRST Steps Together (FST) home visiting program. The main questions it aims to answer are:

1. Does FST plus RHEP improve parenting-related outcomes, substance use disorder treatment retention, and reduction in substance use compared with FST alone?
2. How do implementation processes vary across sites, and what role do peer recovery support specialists play in implementation and effectiveness outcomes?

Researchers will compare FST alone to FST plus RHEP to determine whether RHEP enhances parenting support delivery and improves parent and recovery outcomes.

Participants will:

1. Receive family-focused peer recovery support services through the FIRST Steps Together (FST) program;
2. Complete surveys and assessments related to parenting, recovery, and substance use over time;
3. Participate in follow-up data collection to evaluate treatment retention and recovery outcomes.

Peer recovery support specialists participating in the study will:

1. Receive training and consultation.
2. Use implementation tools and supports designed to improve delivery of evidence-based parenting support.
3. Participate in implementation-related assessments and activities.

Conditions

• Substance Use Disorders (SUDs)

Interventions

OTHER

Relational Health Enhanced Parenting Support (RHEP) implementation bundle

Relational Health Enhanced Parenting support (RHEP) is an implementation bundle to promote more effective delivery of evidence-based parenting services within the PRSS model. It encompasses three primary implementation strategies: 1) Mirror training, 2) reflective consultation, 3) implementation blueprint. RHEP is delivered at the agency level for all FST staff with the intent to shift practice towards a more strengths-based, process-oriented, relational approach to enhance reflection within organizations and between peers and parents.

BEHAVIORAL

First Steps Together

FIRST (Families in Recovery SupporT) Steps Together (FST) is centered on the Peer Recovery Support Service (PRSS) model and involves service delivery by people with lived SUD experience combined with specialized training. PRSS can employ case management, patient navigation, mentoring, or public health education strategies to assist with the unique needs of parents with SUDs in connecting to care, navigating child welfare systems, and preventing future substance misuse and overdose. By virtue of their lived experience, peers may serve as critical liaisons or ambassadors between systems of care and clients. FST further combines evidence-based parent home visiting with peer-led recovery supports to provide flexible, trauma-informed, community-based outreach and care. Mental health clinicians are affiliated with each site.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of California, Irvine

  collaborator OTHER

• Baystate Medical Center

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Elizabeth Peacock-Chambers, MD, MSc · Baystate Health

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-10-01

Primary Completion

2029-09-30

Completion

2030-08-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations