Response to Relapse in Office-Based Opioid Treatment Trial

This study is a single-center, two-arm, 6-month (24-week), parallel group, open-label, randomized controlled trial to examine the effectiveness of two approaches to managing relapse to illicit drug use in treatment with medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). It will compare two treatment protocols for treatment of opioid use disorder with medications. The two protocols involve differing approaches to relapse to use of illicit drugs in a sample of individuals with co-occurring OUD and mental disorders. Intensive Treatment Approach: After stabilization on a medication for OUD (MOUD), if a participant tests positive for opioids or other illicit drugs, they will be asked to return weekly until 2 consecutive urine drug tests are negative for opioids or other illicit drugs. Participants will then be asked to return every other week until 2 consecutive urine drug tests are negative for opioids or other illicit drugs, before being asked to return every 4 weeks. If the participant tests positive for illicit drugs while returning every other week, they will return to the beginning of the treatment plan (2 consecutive negative tests before going to every other week). Moderate treatment approach: The frequency of visits will be organized similarly as the intensive treatment arm (weekly, every 2 weeks, and every 4 weeks) but participants in this arm will be able to move more freely between these steps and are hypothesized to require fewer provider visits than the intensive treatment arm.