The project is a pragmatic, quasi-experimental hybrid type II effectiveness-implementation trial of a structural HIV prevention intervention to address police behavior (arrests and referrals) and ultimately improve health among people who use drugs. The study involves a novel implementation strategy that engages behavioral health workers as "local champions" in the delivery of an evidence-based police education program (SHIELD training intervention). In addition to examining implementation outcomes, primary outcomes focus on assessing effectiveness of the intervention among police (specifically in reducing drug-related arrests and promoting referrals to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) treatment. The investigator's overarching effectiveness hypothesis is that after law enforcement organizations receive the SHIELD training intervention, the organizations will be more likely to refer people who use drugs to MOUD treatment and other health and social services, rather than arresting for low level possession offenses. The study will be conducted across different counties in Appalachian Kentucky.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
150
SHIELD is an evidence-based police education training program that has been demonstrated to change police behavior (arrest and referrals) and improve outcomes among police and people who use drugs in NIH-funded and other research studies. The original intervention delivery relied on academic teams, limiting sustainability and scalability. The investigator's novel "SHIELD 2.0" implementation strategy aims to address these limitations by capacitating the local behavioral health workforce to implement the steps of the SHIELD process, specifically to complete the delivery of the SHIELD intervention to local police officers.
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky, United States
RECRUITINGFrequency of Law enforcement officer self-reported referrals to MOUD
Time frame: From baseline up to 12 months post SHIELD training
Frequency of Law enforcement officer self-reported drug-related arrests
Time frame: From baseline up to 12 months post SHIELD training
Law enforcement officer self-reported stress as assessed by survey
Survey scores range from 0-12, with lower scores indicating a lower level of stress
Time frame: From baseline up to 12 months post SHIELD training
Law enforcement officer self-reported burnout as assessed by survey
Survey scores range from 0-24, with lower scores indicating a lower level of burnout
Time frame: From baseline up to 12 months post SHIELD training
Law enforcement officer self-reported job satisfaction as assessed by survey
Survey scores range from 0-6, with lower scores indicating a lower level of job satisfaction
Time frame: From baseline up to 12 months post SHIELD training
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