A Randomized Trial of Specialty Mental Health Probation: Measuring Implementation and Effectiveness Outcomes.

Although the research on specialty mental health probation (SMHP) is promising, there have been no randomized controlled trials (RCT) of the prototypical model advanced in the research literature and little focus on SMHP implementation. This study assesses the adoption of SMHP in two counties and examines its impact on mental health and criminal justice outcomes. Researchers conducted a RCT within a hybrid implementation-effectiveness study to examine intervention adoption as well as mental health treatment engagement and criminal justice outcomes for 100 individuals with serious mental illnesses on probation in one rural and one urban county in a southeastern state. Randomization produced equivalent treatment (n = 47) and control (n = 53) groups with no statistically significant differences between groups on demographic or background characteristics. Compared to standard probation officers, SMHP officers addressed the mental health needs of individuals with serious mental illness (i.e., adoption) at higher rates (p < 0.001). Compared to individuals on standard caseloads, individuals on SMHP had a higher rate of mental health engagement (e.g., mental health assessment, attending treatment appointment; p < 0.050); however, more individuals on SMHP caseloads had a new crime violation during follow-up compared with individuals on standard caseloads (p < 0.01). In conclusions, results suggest successful adoption of the intervention and increased mental health engagement among those on SMHP caseloads. Results are consistent with the mixed findings on the impact of SMHP on improving criminal justice outcomes.

The Factors that Motivate Law Enforcement's Use of Force: A Systematic Review.

Media attention relevant to law enforcement use of force in the last decade finally alerted the scientific community to the need for more research regarding law enforcement discretion and decision making. The purpose of this study was to synthesize the existing literature to explore the motivating factors for law enforcement use of force. This study will utilize a social-ecological framework to systematically examine factors that impact officer decisions to use force at the individual and community levels. The paper includes recommendations for research and practice through an equity lens that highlights the disparate use of force against men of color in particular. Interventions, trainings, education, and research to stop the promotion of perceived safety over justice will be highlighted.

Binge eating and binge-eating disorder in Black women: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: Although several effective behavioral treatments for binge-eating disorder (BED) exist, there are racial disparities in treatment access, with African-Americans and/or Black individuals having some of the lowest rates of access to care. Little is known about the experience and treatment of binge eating (BE) and BED among Black women. METHOD: This systematic review, conducted according to PRISMA guidelines, synthesizes information related to BE and BED in Black women. RESULTS: A total of N = 38 studies met our eligibility criteria. We did not identify any systematic risk of bias across studies. The majority of included studies used cross-sectional survey methodology, and relied on interview (EDE) and self-report measures (particularly the Binge Eating Scale, BES) for the assessment of BE. Outcomes were inconsistently measured across trials, and there are limited data on the results of evidence-based treatments for BE/BED in Black women. DISCUSSION: Although Black women have similar or higher rates of BE than White women, most research on BE and BED has focused on White women, with Black individuals underrepresented in clinical trials. Future research should examine evidence-based treatments to prevent and treat BED in this population. OBJETIVO: Aunque existen varios tratamientos conductuales que son efectivos para el Trastorno de Atracones (BED, por sus siglas en inglés), existen disparidades raciales en el acceso a tratamiento, con individuos Afroamericanos y/o personas de color teniendo algunas de las tasas más bajas de acceso al cuidado de la salud. Se sabe muy poco acerca de la experiencia y tratamiento del comer en atracones (BE, por sus siglas en inglés) y BED entre mujeres afroamericanas y/o de color. MÉTODO: Esta revisión sistemática, realizada bajo lineamientos de las guías PRISMA, sintetiza información relacionada con BE y BED en mujeres afroamericanas y/o de color. RESULTADOS: Un total de N = 38 estudios cumplieron con nuestros criterios de elegibilidad. No identificamos ningún riesgo sistemático de sesgo entre los estudios. La mayoría de los estudios incluidos utilizaron una metodología de encuesta transversal y se basaron en la entrevista (EDE) y las medidas de autoinforme (en particular, la Binge Eating Scale, BES) para la evaluación de BE. Los resultados se midieron de manera inconsistente entre los ensayos, y hay datos limitados sobre los resultados de los tratamientos basados en la evidencia para BE/BED en mujeres afroamericanas y/o de color. DISCUSIÓN: Aunque las mujeres afroamericanas y/o de color tienen tasas similares o más altas de BE que las mujeres blancas, la mayoría de las investigaciones sobre BE y BED se han centrado en las mujeres blancas, con individuos afroamericanos y/o de color subrepresentados en ensayos clínicos. La investigación futura debería examinar los tratamientos basados en la evidencia para prevenir y tratar el BED en esta población.

Perceptions and experiences of appetite awareness training among African-American women who binge eat.

INTRODUCTION: Binge eating may contribute to the prevalence of obesity in African-American women. Yet, there has been scant intervention research on the treatment of binge eating in this population. We tested the feasibility of an appetite awareness training (AAT) intervention in a sample of African-American women with binge and overeating behaviors. Participants who completed AAT were recruited to participate in focus groups to elicit information about their perceptions and experiences with this intervention to inform the design of future interventions to treat binge eating and obesity in African-American women. METHODS: African-American women, aged 18-70 years, who had completed an 8-week randomized AAT intervention, were invited to attend a focus group discussion. Session content was recorded and transcribed. Data were analyzed by use of open coding. Themes were identified that described their perceptions and experiences of participating in the intervention. RESULTS: Seventeen women participated in three focus group discussions. Pertinent themes identified included: paying attention to internal cues of hunger and satiety, influence of culture on eating patterns, breaking patterns of disordered eating, and perceptions about weight. Overall, participants were satisfied with their experience of AAT, and reported they found it valuable to learn about listening to biological signals of hunger and satiety and to learn specific strategies to reduce maladaptive eating patterns. CONCLUSION: AAT was acceptable and provided helpful eating behavior instruction to African-American women with reported binge and overeating behaviors. Future research should examine the potential of AAT to improve weight management in this underserved population. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level V, qualitative descriptive study.

Policy and public communication methods among U.S. state prisons during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Throughout the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, our research team monitored and documented policy changes in United States (U.S.) prison systems. Data sources included prison websites and official prison social media accounts. Over 2500 data sources relevant to the COVID-19 pandemic in U.S. prisons were located and summarized in to five different categories: 1) prevention, 2) case identification and intervention, 3) movement, 4) social communication and connection, and 5) programming, recreation, and privileges. RESULTS: All state prison systems reportedly enacted multiple policies intended to limit the spread of COVID-19 during the pandemic. Document analysis revealed that the most commonly released policies were restrictions on social contacts and privileges, basic preventive measures (e.g., distribution of masks), and basic case identification measures (e.g., verbal screening and temperature checks). Utilization of social media for policy communication varied significantly across states, though relevant data was more often released on Facebook than Twitter. CONCLUSIONS: Together, our work provides foundational knowledge on the wide breadth of policies that were reportedly enacted in the first year of the pandemic that may be used as a base for quantitative work on policy effectiveness and examinations of implementation.

COVID-19 in corrections: Quarantine of incarcerated people.

Carceral settings in the United States have been the source of many single site COVID-19 outbreaks. Quarantine is a strategy used to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in correctional settings, and specific quarantine practices differ state to state. To better understand how states are using quarantine in prisons, we reviewed each state's definition of quarantine and compared each state's definition to the Centers for Disease Control's (CDC) definition and recommendations for quarantine in jails and prisons. Most prison systems, 45 of 53, define quarantine, but definitions vary widely. No state published definitions of quarantine that align with all CDC recommendations, and only 9 states provide quarantine data. In these states, the highest recorded quarantine rate occurred in Ohio in May 2020 at 843 per 1,000. It is necessary for prison systems to standardize their definitions of quarantine and to utilize quarantine practices in accordance with CDC recommendations. In addition, data transparency is needed to better understand the use of quarantine and its effectiveness at mitigating COVID-19 outbreaks in carceral settings.

Longitudinal pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) acceptability, initiation and adherence among criminal justice-involved adults in the USA: the Southern PrEP Cohort Study (SPECS) protocol.

INTRODUCTION: HIV prevalence among criminal justice (CJ)-involved adults is five times higher than the general population. Following incarceration, CJ-involved individuals experience multilevel barriers to HIV prevention. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a widely available, daily medication efficacious in preventing HIV. Little is known about PrEP knowledge, acceptability, initiation and sustained use among CJ-involved persons or about how these outcomes vary by multilevel factors. The Southern Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Study (SPECS) will investigate barriers and facilitators for PrEP initiation and sustained use among CJ-involved adults, building a foundation for PrEP interventions for this underserved population. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: SPECS uses a mixed-methods sequential design, including a multisite, prospective cohort study in three southern states-North Carolina, Florida and Kentucky-and subsequent qualitative interviews. HIV-negative adults clinically indicated for PrEP with CJ-involvement in the past year (n=660; 220 per site)-will be recruited for four quantitative interviews separated by 6 months, with 18 months of follow-up. Interviews will measure CJ involvement, substance use, sexual behaviours, PrEP acceptability and use, healthcare access and utilisation, support systems and psychological and emotional well-being. We will estimate probabilities of PrEP acceptability and use in a CJ-involved population using descriptive and multivariable analyses. After the follow-up, a subsample that never initiated PrEP, initiated but did not sustain PrEP or sustained PrEP will be asked to participate in a qualitative interview to contextualise their experiences and decisions around PrEP. An inductive approach will guide qualitative analyses. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: PrEP initiation and sustained use rates are unknown among CJ-involved adults. This research will identify individual, social and structural factors that predict PrEP initiation and use. Data generated from the study have the potential to guide research and the development and tailoring of PrEP interventions to CJ-involved populations and provide context to HIV-related outcomes for those with CJ experiences.

Preparing Social Workers to Confront Social Injustice and Oppression: Evaluating the Role of Social Work Education.

Since the presidential election of 2016, bias-related incidents, hate-filled rhetoric, and extremist violence have been increasing in the United States. Because social workers are often working with individuals and communities affected by these incidents, practitioners may have increasing responsibility to confront social injustice and oppression. However, limited evidence on the preparedness of social workers to assume this responsibility, particularly among those who are still students, exists. To address this gap, this study used focus group and survey data from the Diversity and Oppression Scale to explore the preparedness of MSW students (N = 22) to confront oppression. Six themes were identified as integral to student experiences in their programs: (1) social worker responsibility to confront oppression, (2) use of dominant group discourse on oppression, (3) variation in faculty preparation and comfort, (4) a focus on knowledge of oppression versus skills and process, (5) role of personal responsibility and experience in student preparation, and (6) strategies to increase student preparedness to confront oppression. Factors identified to enhance students' level of preparedness include faculty opportunities for development, changes to the explicit and implicit curriculum, and creating a formalized way to integrate topics on oppression and diversity into all facets of the curriculum.