This study is designed to test Project LYNX, a program designed to help young adults (ages 18-29) with recent criminal legal system involvement can find and get connected to substance use and HIV-prevention services in the community. The program combines support from a trained peer navigator with easy-to-use digital tools. The study will: * Adapt an existing navigator program by adding new digital (eHealth) tools that were co-developed with young adults. These tools will help navigators refer participants to the right health services. * Refine and test the updated program to make sure it works well and is easy to use. * Evaluate whether the program is feasible, acceptable, and helpful in linking young adults to substance use treatment and HIV-prevention services. The overall goal is to create a practical, user-friendly system that supports young adults find and get connected to services for substance use and HIV prevention that they need.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
50
LYNX is an mHealth enhanced, adapted navigator program designed to refer and link young adults (18 to 29 years) impacted by the criminal legal system to services related to substance use and HIV.
Standard of care will involve young adults (18 to 29 years) impacted by the criminal legal system engaging in and connecting with HIV and substance use services in healthcare systems via warm referral to services in the community.
University of Pittsburgh, School of Public Health
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Linkage to substance use services
Substance use service linkage will be attendance at a substance use service appointment via self-report via the question: " Did you attend your first appointment with your substance use treatment provider?" Yes or No. We will report the number of participants that answered with each response option.
Time frame: Time Frame: 4 month post-enrollment
Linkage to PrEP Services
Pre-exposure Prophylaxis linkage will be self-reported engagement in PrEP related services in the last month via the question " Have you received any PrEP-related services in the past \[month/3 months\]?" Yes or No. We will report the number of participants that answered with each response option.
Time frame: Time Frame: 4 month post-enrollment
PrEP Referral
PrEP referral be reported via self-report via the question: "Has your navigator offered to connect you to PrEP services?" Yes or No. We will report the number of participants that answered with each response option.
Time frame: Time Frame: 4 month post-enrollment
Time to PrEP Linkage
Time to linkage will be reported by the LYNX navigator based on the date they referred the participant to PrEP services and the date they recorded the participant first attended a PrEP related appointment. We will report the average number of days between the date of referral and first appointment attendance.
Time frame: Time Frame: 4 month post-enrollment
Receipt of PrEP Prescription
Receipt of a PrEP prescription will be identified via self-report via the question "Have you received a prescription for PrEP?". Yes or No. We will report the number of participants that answered with each response option.
Time frame: Time Frame: 4 month post-enrollment
Fill of PrEP Prescription
Fill of a PrEP prescription will be identified via self-report via the question: "Have you filled your PrEP prescription?" Yes or No. We will report the number of participants that answered with each response option.
Time frame: Time Frame: 4 month post-enrollment
PrEP Initiation
PrEP initiation will be identified via self-report via the question: "Have you started to take PrEP?" Yes or No . We will report the number of participants that answered with each response option.
Time frame: Time Frame: 4 month post-enrollment
PrEP Adherence
PrEP adherence will be identified via self-report via the question: "In the past 30 days, rate your ability to take your PrEP medications as prescribed?" Very often, Somewhat often, Often, Not very often, Never. We will report the number of participants that answered with each response option.
Time frame: Time Frame: 4-month post-enrollment
PrEP Persistence
PrEP persistence will be identified through self-report via the question: "Have you stopped taking PrEP?: Yes or No. We will report the number of participants that answered with each response option.
Time frame: Time Frame: 4-month post-enrollment
Accepted Substance Use Service Referral
Accepted substance use treatment referral will be reported via self-report via the question: "Has your navigator offered to connect you to substance use services?" Yes or No. We will report the number of participants that answered with each response option.
Time frame: Time Frame: 4 month post-enrollment
Time to Substance Use Linkage
Time to linkage will be reported by the LYNX navigator based on the date they referred the participant to substance use services and the date they recorded the participant first attended a substance use related appointment. We will report the average number of days between the date of referral and first appointment attendance.
Time frame: Time Frame: 4 month post-enrollment
Navigation Satisfaction Tool
The Navigation Satisfaction Tool (NAVSAT) includes twelve items that address client satisfaction with navigation services (e.g., How satisfied are you with the navigator's ability to listen and understand your concerns? How satisfied are you with the frequency of contact with the navigator?). Items are rated on a Likert scale from 1 (extremely dissatisfied / extremely unhelpful) to 7 (satisfied/ extremely satisfied). A total item score is calculated. Higher scores reflect greater navigator satisfaction. We will report the mean and the standard deviation for the NAVSAT score.
Time frame: Time Frame: 4-month post-enrollment
Client Intervention Satisfaction
The Study Participant Feedback Questionnaire (SPFQ) comprises 23-questions and is split into three brief, validated questionnaires capturing trial experience at baseline, mid-point, and end of the study. The majority of items use a 5-point Likert satisfaction response scale. Some questions use a yes/no scale. The SPFQ is not designed to produce a single composite score. Responses will be analyzed item by item and reported as frequency distributions for each individual question, by response.
Time frame: Baseline, 1-month post enrollment, 3-months post-enrollment
Perceived Navigator Similarity
The Perceived Navigator Similarity scale consists of 10 items - 5 related to personal similarity and 5 related to ethnic similarity. Patients respond to each item using a 6-point Likert scale ranging from 0 (very different) to 5 (very similar). We will calculate a total score by summing all items, with higher scores indicating greater perceived similarity.
Time frame: Time Frame: 4-month post-enrollment
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