Testing a Dynamic Automated Substance Use Intervention Model for Youths Exiting Foster Care

abstract

With an ever-increasing gap between need and availability for substance use services, more scalable and efficient interventions are needed. For youths in the foster care system, this gap is dramatic and expands as they leave care. Effective prevention services are strongly needed for this group of vulnerable young people. We propose a novel technology-driven intervention for preventing problematic substance use among youths receiving foster care services. This study extends the work in brief computerized interventions by adding a text message-based booster, dynamically tailored to each individual's readiness to change. It also combats many barriers to service receipt. Dynamically tailored interventions delivered through technologies commonly used by adolescents and young adults have the strong potential to reduce the burden of problematic substance use.

KEYWORDS:

• computerized intervention
• dynamic
• foster care
• tailored
• text message

Funding

This work was made possible by a Corporate Development Grant from the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, grant number R34DA034822 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.