Peer Recovery Coaching for Substance Use Disorders

(LINCS UP: RCT Trial)

Overseen By Joseph E Carpenter, MD

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Emory University

Disqualifiers: Unstable medical, Unstable psychiatric, Prisoner, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Approved in 3 Jurisdictions This treatment is already approved in other countries

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 4

Duration: Immediate intervention during ED visit

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to determine if peer recovery coaching can more effectively assist individuals recovering from drug use by comparing three approaches. Participants will receive either in-person coaching, telemedicine coaching, or standard care, which includes only a list of recovery resources. Coaches will offer personalized support, assess readiness for change, and connect participants to community recovery resources. Ideal participants are those who have recently visited the emergency department for drug-related issues and are prepared to engage in follow-up support. As an unphased trial, this study provides participants the chance to contribute to innovative research that could improve recovery support methods.

Do I have to stop taking my current medications for this trial?

The trial protocol does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It is best to discuss this with the trial coordinators or your healthcare provider.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It is best to discuss this with the study team or your doctor.

Is there any evidence suggesting that this trial's treatments are likely to be safe?

Research shows that peer recovery coaching, whether in person or through video calls, is generally safe and well-received. Studies have found that individuals benefit from having someone with personal experience in substance use disorders support them in their recovery. These coaches do not provide medical treatment but offer guidance and encouragement.

In-person peer recovery coaching has been used in many places with positive results. Recipients of this support often feel more understood and less alone. No major reports of negative effects from in-person peer recovery coaching have emerged.

Telemedicine-based peer recovery coaching, which uses video calls, also shows promise. It facilitates support for those unable to attend in person. Research suggests that participants connect well with coaches online and actively engage in their recovery. Again, no serious side effects have been reported.

Overall, both in-person and online peer recovery coaching are considered safe. Participants can feel confident about the supportive nature of this approach. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about this trial because it explores innovative ways to support people with substance use disorders. Unlike the standard of care, which often involves providing patients with a list of community resources, this trial offers peer recovery coaching either in person or through telemedicine. The unique feature here is the ongoing support from peer recovery coaches who follow up with patients after they leave the emergency department. This approach aims to strengthen the connection to recovery resources and provide personalized guidance, which could enhance recovery outcomes. By comparing these methods to usual care, researchers hope to find out if peer coaching can make a significant difference in supporting recovery.

What evidence suggests that this trial's treatments could be effective for substance use disorders?

Research has shown that peer recovery coaching can assist people with substance use problems. In this trial, participants may receive in-person peer recovery coaching, which studies have found provides support and connects individuals to local resources, leading to better recovery outcomes. Support from someone who has faced similar challenges can boost motivation and strength.

Alternatively, participants may receive telemedicine-based peer recovery coaching, which also shows promise. It offers the same benefits as in-person coaching, such as support and resource connection, but through video calls. This method has proven effective, making it a flexible choice for those unable to meet face-to-face. Both approaches in this trial aim to improve recovery by offering steady support and resources. ^{1 2 3 6 7}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Joseph Carpenter, MD

Principal Investigator

Emory University

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for adults over 18 who visit the emergency department during certain hours, score moderately to severely on a drug abuse screening test, are sober enough to consent, speak English, and can be contacted reliably. It's not for prisoners, previous participants, those already in recovery programs or if too unstable medically or mentally.

Inclusion Criteria

I have provided two reliable contact numbers, including mine.

Clinically sober, able to provide informed consent

Score of 3 or greater on Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-10) indicating moderate, substantial, or severe level of problems related to drug abuse

Exclusion Criteria

Medically or psychiatrically unstable as determined by treating physician

Prisoner or in police custody

Actively engaged with recovery resources in the local community

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1-2 weeks

Treatment

Participants receive peer recovery coaching either in-person or via telemedicine, or usual care with a list of community recovery resources

Immediate intervention during ED visit

1 visit (in-person or virtual)

Follow-up

Follow-up calls and data collection at 7, 30, and 90 days post-discharge to provide ongoing support and facilitate re-linkage to recovery resources

90 days

3 follow-up calls (telephone or in-person)

Long-term monitoring

Participants are monitored for changes in substance use, overdose events, and other health outcomes

90 days post intervention

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Peer recovery coaching with linkage to recovery resources
• Usual Care

Trial Overview The study tests two methods of peer recovery coaching (PRC) against usual care for substance use disorders. One group gets in-person PRC with resource linkage; another has telemedicine-based PRC; the third receives standard care lists without direct support. Follow-ups occur at 7, 30, and 90 days post-enrollment.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Telemedicine-based peer recovery coaching with linkage to recovery resources Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

PRCs will meet patients via a tablet-based video call (telemedicine). They will also schedule and perform follow up calls after the participant is discharged from the ED to provide ongoing support and facilitate re-linkage to recovery resources, if needed. Follow-up data collection on day 7, 30, 90 post discharge.

Group II: In-person peer recovery coaching with linkage to recovery resources Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

PRCs will meet patients at bedside (in person). They will also schedule and perform follow up calls after the participant is discharged from the ED to provide ongoing support and facilitate re-linkage to recovery resources, if needed. Follow-up data collection on day 7, 30, 90 post discharge.

Group III: Usual Care Active Control 1 Intervention

Participants in the usual care arm will be provided with a list of community recovery resources. No callbacks or re-linkage to recovery resources. Follow-up data collection on day 7, 30, 90 post discharge.

Peer recovery coaching with linkage to recovery resources is already approved in United States, Canada, European Union for the following indications:

Approved in United States as Peer Recovery Coaching for:

• Substance Use Disorders

Approved in Canada as Peer Recovery Support Services for:

• Substance Use Disorders
• Mental Health Disorders

Approved in European Union as Peer Recovery Coaching for:

• Substance Use Disorders
• Addiction Recovery

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Emory University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,735

Recruited

2,605,000+

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Collaborator

Trials

902

Recruited

25,020,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

In a study involving 1329 patients from primary care settings in Australia and England, 5.3% reported safety incidents over the past year, with the most common issues being delays in accessing care and problems with diagnosis and assessment.

The study highlighted that patient-reported incidents often differ from those reported by staff, underscoring the importance of including patient perspectives to improve safety and service quality in primary care.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Nature and type of patient-reported safety incidents in primary care: cross-sectional survey of patients from Australia and England. Hernan, AL., Giles, SJ., Carson-Stevens, A., et al.[2023]

Peer recovery support services are increasingly recognized as valuable in treating substance use disorders, offering a broader range of support than traditional mutual support groups.

The literature review highlights the need for more research to clearly differentiate the specific benefits of peer recovery support services from other recovery activities.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Peer recovery support for individuals with substance use disorders: assessing the evidence. Reif, S., Braude, L., Lyman, DR., et al.[2015]

Since the FDA began posting potential signals of serious risks in 2008, 555 signals have been identified, with nearly 80% leading to updates in product labeling, highlighting the program's effectiveness in enhancing drug safety.

The majority of updates focused on Warnings and Precautions, indicating ongoing concerns about product-use errors and drug-drug interactions, particularly in vulnerable populations like children.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Review of FDA Amendments Act Section 921 Experience in Posting Data-mining Results from the FAERS Database. Beninger, P., Murray, M.[2021]

This study aims to assess the feasibility of a patient safety guide for primary care, involving 120 patients and/or carers across 8 general practices in the UK, to enhance patient safety and empowerment.

The intervention will evaluate its acceptability and potential impact on patient safety, health status, and healthcare utilization over a 6-month period, with results informing future larger effectiveness trials.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Protocol for a non-randomised feasibility study evaluating a codesigned patient safety guide in primary care. Morris, RL., Gallacher, K., Hann, M., et al.[2023]

In a community-based program in Baltimore, a peer recovery coach (PRC) successfully linked 64.1% of interested clients to substance use treatment, demonstrating the effectiveness of peer support in overcoming barriers to care.

After 30 days, 52% of clients who were linked to treatment remained engaged, and even among those who dropped out, 77% continued to maintain contact with the PRC, indicating ongoing support is crucial for retention.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Implementing a peer recovery coach model to reach low-income, minority individuals not engaged in substance use treatment. Kleinman, MB., Doran, K., Felton, JW., et al.[2022]

A study involving 17 peer support workers in Egypt revealed that these individuals play a crucial role in helping others with substance use disorders by providing recovery support through shared experiences.

The research highlighted the need for greater organizational and governmental support for peer support workers, as well as public education about their important role in recovery, to enhance the effectiveness of substance use disorder interventions.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Experiences of peer support workers supporting individuals with substance use disorders in Egypt: phenomenological analysis. Ibrahim, N., Selim, A., Ng, F., et al.[2022]

Peer recovery support services (PRSS) have been integrated into the recovery process for opioid use disorder (OUD), but their effectiveness on clinical outcomes remains unclear, as only 12 out of 123 studies met the inclusion criteria for review.

Most studies reported on PRSS engagement and medication for OUD (MOUD) initiation, but findings were inconsistent and varied due to the lack of standardized PRSS interventions and methodological limitations, indicating a need for further research before widespread implementation.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effectiveness of peer recovery support services on stages of the opioid use disorder treatment cascade: A systematic review. Gormley, MA., Pericot-Valverde, I., Diaz, L., et al.[2022]

The study involving 193 inpatient adults with substance use disorder found that peer recovery coaches (PRCs) did not significantly reduce overall acute care utilization, but they did lead to a notable decrease in emergency department visits for mental/behavioral issues.

While there was no significant impact on 30-day readmissions or other types of acute care encounters, the results suggest that PRCs may be effective in reducing specific emergency encounters related to substance use.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Acute Care Utilization After Recovery Coaching Linkage During Substance-Related Inpatient Admission: Results of Two Randomized Controlled Trials. Cupp, JA., Byrne, KA., Herbert, K., et al.[2023]

In a study of 137 adults with co-occurring psychosis and substance use disorders, adding peer recovery supports to standard care improved engagement in treatment and reduced alcohol use over time.

At three months, skills training alone helped reduce symptoms and alcohol use, while peer support enhanced social connections and outpatient service use; by nine months, it further decreased symptoms and inpatient readmissions, highlighting the long-term benefits of peer support.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Enhancing outcomes for persons with co-occurring disorders through skills training and peer recovery support. O'Connell, MJ., Flanagan, EH., Delphin-Rittmon, ME., et al.[2020]

Industry-sponsored program reports in the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System were associated with a higher percentage of serious outcomes compared to non-industry-sponsored reports (58.8% vs. 51.4%), indicating they may capture more severe adverse events.

Despite containing more data elements, the overall usefulness of industry-sponsored and non-industry-sponsored reports for safety signal detection was similar, with only a small percentage of reports (4% for non-industry and 6.2% for industry) identifying serious, unlabeled adverse events.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Evaluation of Postmarketing Reports from Industry-Sponsored Programs in Drug Safety Surveillance. Harinstein, L., Kalra, D., Kortepeter, CM., et al.[2020]

The project aims to develop two key patient safety interventions: a Patient Measure of Organisational Safety (PMOS) and a Patient Incident Reporting Tool (PIRT) to enhance learning about safety incidents in the NHS, involving 300 patients and multiple focus groups for development.

Both tools will be rigorously tested for validity and reliability, with the PMOS assessing patient perceptions of safety and the PIRT enabling patients to report incidents, ultimately aiming to improve patient safety across NHS hospital trusts.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Patient involvement in patient safety: Protocol for developing an intervention using patient reports of organisational safety and patient incident reporting. Ward, JK., McEachan, RR., Lawton, R., et al.[2021]

A six-month study involving 98 hospitalized individuals with Substance Use Disorder showed that those receiving peer recovery coaching had significantly higher engagement in recovery support services (84%) compared to those receiving standard care (34%).

Despite the increased engagement, the study found no significant differences in substance use frequency or self-reported physical and mental health between the two groups, suggesting that while recovery coaching improves service engagement, it may not immediately impact substance use or health outcomes.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Inpatient link to peer recovery coaching: Results from a pilot randomized control trial. Byrne, KA., Roth, PJ., Merchant, K., et al.[2021]

Peer recovery coaches, who are individuals in sustained recovery from substance use, are a promising and efficient way to improve access to substance use services in low-resource communities, but they face significant barriers in their integration into existing recovery services.

Focus group discussions revealed that peer recovery coaches often feel a mismatch between their expected roles and actual responsibilities, along with personal challenges that can affect their own recovery, highlighting the need for policy and structural changes to better support them.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Peer Recovery Coaches Perceptions of Their Work and Their Implications for Training, Support and Personal Recovery. Felton, JW., Abidogun, TM., Senters, K., et al.[2023]

Citations

1. link.springer.com link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40429-025-00645-8

Peer Recovery Support Services and Recovery Coaching ... In this article, we systematically review the research on peer recovery support services (PRSS) for substance use disorder (SUD).

2. samhsa.gov samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/programs_campaigns/brss_tacs/peers-supporting-recovery-substance-use-disorders-2017.pdf

Peers Supporting Recovery from Substance Use Disorders “When I needed someone to walk beside me, peer support was there.” —Steve. Peer recovery coaches walk side by side with individuals seeking recovery from ...

3. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306460321001301

Peer-based recovery support services delivered at ... While clinical interventions used to support the recovery process of U.S. adults are well understood, community-based solutions such as peer-based recovery ...

4. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12104978/

Systematizing peer recovery support services for substance ... Recovery from substance use disorder (SUD) is a complex and individualized process requiring multifaceted support systems. Peer recovery ...

5. recoveryanswers.org recoveryanswers.org/research-post/what-is-the-evidence-for-peer-recovery-support-services/

What is the Evidence for Peer Recovery Support Services? The roles of social support and mutual-help groups in promoting healthy outcomes among individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) suggests peer recovery ...

6. mass.gov mass.gov/doc/mgh-recovery-coach-report-submitted-to-recovery-coach-inbox/download

A Systematic Review of Peer Recovery Support Services ... traditional addiction treatment and mutual-help recovery programs (White and Evans, 2014). 55. These PRSS roles emphasize respect for the diverse pathways and ...

7. researchgate.net researchgate.net/publication/390092484_Peer_Recovery_Support_Services_and_Recovery_Coaching_for_Substance_Use_Disorder_A_Systematic_Review

(PDF) Peer Recovery Support Services and ... PDF | Purpose of Review In this article, we systematically review the research on peer recovery support services (PRSS) for substance use ...