Preventing Overdose and Promoting Recovery Through Court Navigation

This project is a hybrid type I clinical trial to assess the effectiveness and implementation determinants of a peer-led court navigation program for people who use drugs and are passing through county courthouses. Courthouses are a common point of contact for people with behavioral health needs, but outside of specialty court models, they remain underexplored as a setting for connecting people to substance use disorder treatment and related services. This study will test whether court navigation led by peer recovery specialists can increase receipt of substance use disorder treatment and reduce overdose and incarceration. Peer court navigators will meet with participants in courthouse settings, assess their needs, provide information and referrals, and offer follow-up support for up to 3 months. Peer recovery specialists, who have lived experience with substance use recovery, are increasingly being integrated into criminal legal and community-based settings; however, peer-led court navigation remains an innovative and understudied approach.

Inclusion Criteria: * Aged 18 years or older * Current resident of Indiana * Able to complete study procedures in English * Meets at least one of the following criteria: used heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine, or cocaine in the past 12 months; is interested in resources or treatment for a substance use disorder; or experienced an opioid-related overdose in the past 12 months Exclusion Criteria: * Has been sentenced to incarceration in jail or prison for the next 12 months