Release Date
Geography
Language of Resource
Full Text Available
Open Access / OK to Reproduce
Peer Reviewed
Objective
Peer recovery specialists are well-positioned to engage vulnerable patients, particularly when trained in an evidence-based intervention to promote retention. This hybrid effectiveness-implementation pilot trial aimed to demonstrate the proof of concept of a peer recovery specialist-delivered behavioral activation and problem solving-based approach (Peer Activate) to improve methadone retention.
Findings/Key points
Benchmarks for feasibility and acceptability were surpassed. For effectiveness outcomes, 88.6% of participants in Peer Activate were retained in methadone treatment at three-months post-intervention—28.9% higher than individuals initiating methadone treatment alone in the same time period. Among Peer Activate participants, urine-verified methadone adherence reached 97% at post-intervention, and there was a significant reduction in substance use frequency. Among participants who completed the core Peer Activate sessions, there was a significant reduction in substance use-related problems.
Design/methods
Pilot study
