Improving Outcomes of Adolescents in Residential Substance use Treatment via a Technology-Assisted Parenting Intervention

About This Grant

Project Description When parents engage in their adolescents' substance use (SU) treatment, the adolescents experience better outcomes and lower risk of relapse. Yet, parent engagement remains low across the SU treatment continuum, particularly in service lines designed for adolescents with severe SU. To address this gap, we created Parent SMART – a scalable technology-assisted intervention (parent networking forum + online program + telehealth coaching sessions) – to engage parents in adolescent residential SU treatment. Through a successful NIDA- funded R34 and the first segment of this R37, we established Parent SMART's feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness on parenting processes, adolescent SU, and adolescent school-related problems. We also showed our ability to conduct a pragmatic effectiveness trial and efficiently integrate Parent SMART into two of the largest adolescent residential facilities in the country: Rosecrance Griffin Williamson and Hazelden Betty Ford. With the enthusiastic support of our partners, we now propose to adapt Parent SMART to reflect a changing national treatment landscape. Since 2010, the numbers of residential programs for youth with SU and other behavioral health problems, youth served, and available beds have declined by 61%, 78%, and 66%, respectively, while the use of crisis hotlines, outpatient wraparound services, and intensive outpatient services has surged. This shifting service mix highlights the need to proactively enhance parent engagement across the SU continuum of care. In this next R37 segment, we will adapt and implement Parent SMART to ensure that it fits the needs of parents, adolescents, and staff in those service lines experiencing a surge in utilization. Parent SMART adaptation will be guided by ADAPT-ITT, an 8-step, systematic process to adapt evidence-based interventions. In the first six steps of ADAPT-ITT, we will identify core intervention elements that transcend settings and solicit constituent feedback to adapt modifiable, peripheral elements (Aim 1). In the final two steps of ADAPT-ITT, we will employ a hybrid type 2 effectiveness-implementation trial to simultaneously evaluate the adapted Parent SMART intervention and its implementation (Aim 2). Parent SMART implementation will be guided by the Science-to-Service Laboratory, a three-tiered (didactic workshop + performance feedback + coaching) strategy that has demonstrated effectiveness across several of PI Becker's clinical trials. To harmonize data collection across R37 segments, we will use the same measures of patient effectiveness (parental monitoring, parent-adolescent communication, adolescent SU) and assessment calendar (baseline, 12-, and 24-weeks). Implementation outcomes will include reach, adoption, and fidelity, following guidelines of the NIDA-funded Research Adoption Support Center, to align with other research networks. This work will advance the field by: targeting a high-need population wherever they access services; removing barriers to parent engagement; testing the adapted intervention and its implementation simultaneously to accelerate impact; and informing development of a Parent SMART commercialization and sustainment plan. D UEI: KG76WYENL5K1 Enter name of Organization: D RESEARCH & RELATED BUDGET - Budget Period 1 OMB Number: 4040-0001 Expiration Date: 11/30/2025 Northwestern University Budget Type: Project ? Subaward/Consortium Budget Period: 1 Start Date: 06/01/2026 End Date: 05/31/2027 A. Senior/Key Person Months Requested Fringe Funds Prefix First Middle Last Suffix Base Salary ($) Cal. Acad. Sum. Salary ($) Benefits ($) Requested ($) Sara Becker 221,900.00 2.40 44,380.00 12,471.00 56,851.00 Project Role: PD/PI D D Sarah Helseth 148,447.00 3.00 37,112.00 10,428.00 47,540.00 Project Role: Co-Investigator D Zabin Patel 109,273.00 1.20 10,927.00 3,071.00 13,998.00 Project Role: Co-Investigator Additional Senior Key Persons:Add Attachment Delete Attachment View AttachmentTotal Funds requested for all Senior Key Persons in the attached file Total Senior/Key Person 118,389.00 B. Other Personnel Number of Personnel Project Role Post Doctoral Associates Graduate Students Undergraduate Students Secretarial/Clerical n n n n 2 1 n Research Assistants Project Manager 3 Total Number Other Personnel Months Requested Fringe Funds Cal. Acad. Sum. Salary ($) Benefits ($) Requested ($) D D D D 24.00 D 6.00 D D D D D D D D D D 99,000.00 39,784.00 27,820.00 11,179.00 126,820.00 50,963.00 Total Other Personnel Total Salary, Wages and Fringe Benefits (A+B) n 177,783.00 296,172.00 n