Integrating Support Persons Into Recovery

Opioid use disorders (OUDs) have reached an all-time high and have devastating effects on the individual, family, and community. While medication treatment for OUD saves lives, rates of treatment drop out are very high. In addition, existing OUD treatments neglect the impact of untreated OUD on the family, and ignore the potential role family members and support persons (SPs) could have on encouraging long-term recovery. Incorporating the patient's support system may be an important way to improve treatment retention. The proposed study evaluates a counseling program for concerned family members, spouses, and friends called Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT), which is successful at engaging and retaining patients in substance use treatment. While promising, no studies have evaluated whether CRAFT can help patients remain on medication treatment for OUD, provided by community health clinics. If effective, this could save lives and help both patient and family member health outcomes. Patient and SP pairs will be recruited from community health clinics throughout northern and southern California. Patients taking OUD medication treatment will be recruited and randomly assign half of the SPs to receive CRAFT; the other half would receive treatment-as-usual. Patients and SPs will be interviewed three and twelve months later to evaluate whether patients with CRAFT SPs stay in OUD treatment longer, and whether patient and SP health outcomes improve.