Policy Changes to Improve Service Access: Best Practices for Researchers Engaging With Criminal Justice Partners.

The Texas Christian University Hub of the Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network Project includes a partnership with state criminal justice (CJ) agencies with the goal of impacting state- and local-level policies and practices that will lead to increased access to and retention in community-based substance use treatment services among parole clients. This article outlines how we successfully fostered policy changes and includes a five-step process for how researchers can bridge the gap between research and CJ agencies to implement similar changes. This process included the use of various strategies to support the justice partners in their efforts to implement changes within their organization.

The impact of State of Surrender on the relationship between engagement in substance use treatment and meaning in life presence: a pilot study.

The current study examined the construct of State of Surrender (SoS)-defined as a willingness to accept, without resistance, what is to come-and investigated SoS as a statistical mediator of the relationship between engagement in substance use treatment and meaning in life (MIL). Using a cross-sectional design, participants were 123 people involved with the legal system participating in a 6-month residential treatment program for substance use. Results showed that measures of treatment engagement, including treatment participation, counselor rapport, and peer support, were all positively associated with SoS scores ( s ≥ 21.

Results of a national survey of substance use treatment services for youth under community supervision.

Background: Despite the heightened risk for substance use (SU) among youth in the juvenile justice system, many do not receive the treatment that they need.

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to examine the extent to which youth under community supervision by juvenile justice agencies receive community-based SU services and the factors associated with access to such services.

Methods: Data are from a nationally representative sample of Community Supervision (CS) agencies and their primary behavioral health (BH) partners.

Decision-Making Styles as a Moderator on the Efficacy of the Tablet Intervention.

People with substance use disorders often differ in their decision-making styles. The present study addressed the impact of two decision-making styles (rational and dependent) on outcomes from a tablet computer app intervention designed to improve decision-making around health risk behaviors and previously found to be effective for justice-involved people receiving treatment for a substance use disorder and under community supervision. Participants were justice-involved residents in residential treatment.

Avoidance Self-Efficacy: Personal Indicators of Risky Sex and Substance Use among At-Risk Youth.

Adolescent substance use (SU) is associated with risky sex behavior and sexually transmitted infections and is a risk factor for subsequent risky sex decisions. Based on a sample of 1,580 youth in residential SU treatment, this study investigated how a static factor (race) and two dynamic personal factors (risk-taking, assertiveness) contributed to adolescents' perceived ability to avoid high-risk SU and sex behavior (avoidance self-efficacy). Results showed that race correlated with risk-taking and assertiveness, with White youth reporting higher ratings of assertiveness and risk-taking.

Analyses of the TCU Drug Screen 5: Using an Item Response Theory Model with a Sample of Juvenile Justice Youth.

It is important to identify substance use disorders among youth who enter the juvenile justice system using a validated screener, such as the Texas Christian University Drug Screen 5 (TCU DS 5), so that necessary services can be provided to youth in need of treatment. While the TCU DS 5 is a valid, evidence-based screener, the use of an Item Response Theory model may better differentiate between mild, moderate, and severe forms of substance use disorders. The current study analyzed the feasibility and incremental value gained in using an Item Response Theory model to compute drug use severity scores as compared to its current scoring methodology.

Justice community opioid innovation network (JCOIN): The TCU research hub.

Recognizing the current opioid crisis among justice-involved individuals and the need to intervene at the intersection of justice and community health, the JCOIN TCU hub study explores outcomes associated with a multi-level hybrid implementation approach. The study capitalizes on facilitated collaboration, training, and cross-system data sharing to leverage improvements in criminal justice (CJ) and community behavioral health (CBH) interagency collaboration. The goal is to improve local community public health and safety outcomes for reentering justice-involved individuals who have a history of (or are at risk for) using opioids.

Sex-related differences in subjective, but not neural, cue-elicited craving response in heavy cannabis users.

Background: Studies indicate that female cannabis users progress through the milestones of cannabis use disorder (CUD) more quickly than male users, likely due to greater subjective craving response in women relative to men. While studies have reported sex-related differences in subjective craving, differences in neural response and the relative contributions of neural and behavioral response remain unclear.

Methods: We examined sex-related differences in neural and behavioral response to cannabis cues and cannabis use measures in 112 heavy cannabis users (54 females).