title: Juvenile Justice-Translational Research on Interventions for Adolescents in the Legal System (JJ-TRIALS): a cluster randomized trial targeting system-wide improvement in substance use services.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this paper is to describe the Juvenile Justice-Translational Research on Interventions for Adolescents in the Legal System (JJ-TRIALS) study, a cooperative implementation science initiative involving the National Institute on Drug Abuse, six research centers, a coordinating center, and Juvenile Justice Partners representing seven US states. While the pooling of resources across centers enables a robust implementation study design involving 36 juvenile justice agencies and their behavioral health partner agencies, co-producing a study protocol that has potential to advance implementation science, meets the needs of all constituencies (funding agency, researchers, partners, study sites), and can be implemented with fidelity across the cooperative can be challenging. This paper describes (a) the study background and rationale, including the juvenile justice context and best practices for substance use disorders, (b) the selection and use of an implementation science framework to guide study design and inform selection of implementation components, and (c) the specific study design elements, including research questions, implementation interventions, measurement, and analytic plan.
  
  
  METHODS
  The JJ-TRIALS primary study uses a head-to-head cluster randomized trial with a phased rollout to evaluate the differential effectiveness of two conditions (Core and Enhanced) in 36 sites located in seven states. A Core strategy for promoting change is compared to an Enhanced strategy that incorporates all core strategies plus active facilitation. Target outcomes include improvements in evidence-based screening, assessment, and linkage to substance use treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Contributions to implementation science are discussed as well as challenges associated with designing and deploying a complex, collaborative project.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  NCT02672150 .
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioral Research, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX, USA. d.knight@tcu.edu.
authors.forename: Danica K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Knight
authors.affiliation: Department of Criminal Justice, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Belenko
authors.affiliation: National Institute on Drug Abuse, Bethseda, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Tisha
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wiley
authors.affiliation: Social Science Research Center, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, USA.
authors.forename: Angela A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.affiliation: Council of State Governments Justice Center, Austin, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Arrigona
authors.affiliation: Chestnut Health Systems, Normal, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dennis
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Bartkowski
authors.affiliation: Center for the Promotion of Mental Health in Juvenile Justice, Columbia University/NYSPI, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Larkin S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: McReynolds
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioral Research, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Becan
authors.affiliation: Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
authors.forename: Hannah K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Knudsen
authors.affiliation: Center for the Promotion of Mental Health in Juvenile Justice, Columbia University/NYSPI, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Gail A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Wasserman
authors.affiliation: Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Eve
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rose
authors.affiliation: Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Ralph
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: DiClemente
authors.affiliation: Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
authors.forename: Carl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Leukefeld
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003416:Criminal Law / Q000379:methods*; D006284:Health Plan Implementation; D006801:Humans; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical / Q000379:methods*; D014481:United States
keywords: Adolescent; Cluster randomized trial; Data-driven decision-making; Evidence-based practice implementation; Interagency collaboration; Justice-involved youth; Juvenile justice; Substance use; System change; Treatment services