A Social Network AOD Intervention for Homeless Youth Transitioning to Housing

Phase 1

Completed

Interventions: Other: Usual Care
Behavioral: Motivational Network Intervention

Brief Summary: This project will pilot test a computer-assisted social network intervention, using motivational interviewing techniques, that can help case managers work with formerly homeless young adults who recently transitioned to supportive housing to reduce substance use and increase permanent supportive connections during this critical transitional period.

Detailed Description: The goal of this study is to conduct a pilot evaluation of a motivational network intervention (MNI) to reduce substance use and strengthen supportive connections for recently homeless 18-25 year-olds who have transitioned to a housing program. The goal of this pilot study is to evaluate, through a small randomized controlled trial (Stage 1b), the added benefit of incorporating the MNI into case management for transitional age youth (TAY) residents of housing programs. We hypothesized that residents receiving the MNI as part of case management would show more positive changes in their substance use behaviors and the composition and structure of their personal networks (i.e., greater proportion of network members who are low-risk) over a 3-month follow-up period compared to residents receiving usual case management only.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria

Exclusion Criteria

• Not able to speak/understand English

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Usual Care	Usual Care	As part of residency, participants receive regular case management meetings.
Intervention	Motivational Network Intervention	The intervention will consist of four sessions spaced two weeks apart that will last approximately 30 minutes each and consist of two parts: a network interview to capture network data about the time period since their last interview and a discussion of a resulting network visualization conducted in a motivational interviewing style. Participants will receive the intervention as part of existing case management.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Number of Days Cannabis Used	30 days	Count of days that respondent used cannabis in the past 30 days
Proportion of Risky Network Members	4 weeks	Proportion of network members who engaged in substance use or the participant used more substances when they were with the network member.
Number of Drinks Consumed on Drinking Days	30 days	Participants reported on the typical number of drinks they consumed on drinking days in the past month.
Number of Drinking Days	30 days	Number of days in the past month (0-30) that participants reported engaging in any alcohol use.
Number of Days Consumed 5 (for Men) or 4 (for Women) Drinks on a Single Occasion	30 days	Number of days in the past month (0-30) that participants reported engaging in heavy alcohol use (5 or more drinks for men and four or more drinks for women on a single occasion).