Removing Barriers: Community Partnering for Innovative Solutions to the Opioid Crisis (NCT05665179)
🩺 Plain-English Summary (8th-Grade Level)
The opioid epidemic has become one of America's deadliest crises, surpassing car crashes, firearms, and HIV/AIDS as a leading cause of death for Americans under fifty years of age. People trying to recover from opioid-use disorder face many obstacles. Obstacles such as minor legal problems (e.g., arrest warrants for failure to pay a fine, failure to appear in court, or late child support payments) can undermine the stability needed to overcome opioid dependence. Outstanding legal obligations make it difficult to find jobs and to secure housing. They can result in removal from treatment programs as well as incarceration. Resolving these legal problems requires coordination, organization, preparation, travel, and time-expectations that may be problematic for many people in the early stages of recovery. Technology has the potential to make resolving these legal problems much easier. Online platform technology is now available that can guide people in recovery through the resolution of many legal problems at no cost and without an attorney, potentially doing so quickly, remotely, and at any time of day. This study of individuals in treatment in Michigan tests whether resolving outstanding legal issues improves drug treatment outcomes. The research also examines whether and to what extent resolving legal issues supports family reunification, reduces future criminal behavior, and improves access to jobs and housing for clients in treatment for opioid use disorder. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) is used to determine the effects of resolving legal issues on these outcomes. For identification, the investigators leverage the random assignment of legal services to treatment center clients, along with the random assignment of clients to treatment centers by birth month. We assemble a novel longitudinal dataset of hundreds of clients in treatment for substance use disorder and link these clients to several administrative datasets and qualitative data, which allows for measurement of: (1) substance use behaviors and (2) justice-system involvement, including civil and criminal legal system encounters. This study also uses linked client and administrative data to research the population in opioid treatment centers, follow-up behaviors, and whether the consequences of providing no-cost legal services differ by client background. Findings from this research will improve America's understanding of the acute socio-legal needs faced by those experiencing opioid use disorder and provide recommendations to help target resources toward the areas that best support long-term abstinence from opioids and other drugs.
Who can join: To join this study, participants generally need to meet the listed inclusion criteria (1 items) and avoid the listed exclusions (1 items).
Location: Home of New Vision — Ann Arbor, Michigan
Age range: 18 Years
🧪 Interventions in This Study
- Removing Barriers to Recovery (BEHAVIORAL)
📋 "Do I Qualify?" — 1-Minute Self Screener
Instant ChecklistCheck every box below. If you can check all of them, you may meet the study's basic screening requirements (final eligibility is confirmed by the site team).
Usually NOT eligible if any of the following apply:
- Exclusion Criteria: \*Not receiving substance use disorder treatment services
🔍 Extracted verbatim from the official NIH eligibility criteria. Always confirm with the study coordinator.
📍 All Participating Trial Locations (2 Sites)
- Home of New Vision — Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Dawn Farm — Ypsilanti, Michigan
📞 Contact the Study Coordinator
Phone: (734) 763-6201
Email: cordovad@umich.edu
Coordinator details come directly from the registered NIH protocol. Confirm the study is still recruiting before traveling.
💰 Cost, Insurance & Patient Rights
- 100% Free Items: The investigational treatment and protocol-required procedures are supplied at zero cost by the sponsor.
- Routine Patient Care: Under federal law (ACA § 2709) and many state statutes, routine care costs are covered during participation.
- Voluntary Participation: You may withdraw at any time without affecting your standard medical care.
More studies in Opioid Use Disorder
- Standard Versus High Dose ED-Initiated Buprenorphine Induction — Oakland, California
- Adversity, Brain and Opioid Use Study — Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Therapy and Peer Support for Patients Taking Medication for Opioid Use Disorder — Atlantic City, New Jersey
- Development of an mHealth Behavioral Sleep Medicine Intervention for Use During Medication Assisted Treatment for MOUD — Charleston, South Carolina
- Focused Ultrasound for the Complex Patient — Washington D.C., District of Columbia
Explore by condition: All Opioid Use Disorder clinical trials
💡 How to Participate
- Check the checklist above to see if you may qualify.
- Contact the study coordinator using the phone/email above.
- Ask about the visit schedule, what is covered at no cost, and any travel support.
- Confirm with your own doctor before making a decision.