Substance of Change: Evaluation of Web-Based Training for Mentors and Staff Serving Youth Impacted by Substance Misuse

“Substance of Change: Evaluation of Web-Based Training for Mentors and Staff Serving Youth Impacted by Substance Misuse” Approximately 1.6 million youth between the ages of 12-17 years old had a substance use disorder in the past year. Another 8.3 million youth have lived with a parent who misused alcohol or drugs within the last year. Substance misuse-affected youth (SMAY) are at heightened risk for conduct problems such as delinquency and aggression, risky sexual behavior, truancy, and poor grades. Mentoring programs regularly serve SMAY due to findings suggesting positive outcomes for these youth associated with being in a mentoring relationship. Training of mentors and professional development of staff has been shown to be related to better quality and longer-lasting mentoring relationships and more positive youth outcomes, in general; however, no evidence- based, asynchronous, web-based, training programs have been located for mentoring programs serving SMAY. The purpose of this project is to evaluate Substance of Change: Building Assets in Mentees Affected by Substance Misuse (SOC), an interactive, multimedia, web–based, asynchronous training for mentors and staff working with SMAY to determine its effects on mentor and staff outcomes. The content of the training course builds upon content delivered in foundational, core pre-match mentor training and adds information and skills related to the unique issues associated with mentoring SMAY. SOC includes content related to avoiding misuse of drugs, coping with stress in a healthy way, and employing a strengths-based, asset-building approach to mentoring vulnerable youth. Though the course addresses substance misuse generally, particular focus is paid to avoiding opioid misuse. Given the enhanced skills needed by mentors and staff, the training will acknowledge the ongoing needs and challenges that can emerge across the life cycle of the mentoring relationship. As part of the current project, SOC will be expanded to add booster content to the course. After boosters are created, four studies will be conducted. The first is a randomized controlled trial evaluation study with mentors to examine the effectiveness of the training for improving mentors’ knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to mentoring SMAY. The second study is a randomized controlled trial exploratory evaluation study with mentoring program staff members to assess staff members’ knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to providing support to matches that include SMAY. The third study is a qualitative interview study with mentors to examine the applicability and usefulness of the training. The fourth study is a qualitative interview study with mentoring program staff members to examine the factors influencing adoption of the training for mentoring programs. Results from this work will inform a future large-scale randomized controlled trial evaluation of SOC to determine its effectiveness on youth outcomes, including reducing mentees’ substance misuse and intention to use substance, and improving mentees’ healthy coping strategies.