Refining and Implementing Technology-Enhanced Family Navigation to Promote Early Access and Engagement With Mental Health Services for Youth With Autism (ATTAIN NAV)

January 2, 2026 updated by: Nicole Stadnick, University of California, San Diego
This project, Refining and Implementing Technology-Enhanced Family Navigation to Promote Early Access and Engagement with Mental Health Services for Youth with Autism (ATTAIN NAV) is focused on adapting and implementing family navigation in primary care settings to help accelerate and facilitate engagement in mental health and community services for children with autism and their families.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Efficient and effective access to and engagement with evidence-based mental health (MH) services for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is critically needed but requires a tailored approach. This project is critical in establishing integrated and sustainable local capacity to provide evidence-based MH care for children (ages 4-16 years) with ASD+ (i.e., children with ASD and co-occurring psychiatric disorders). Specifically, the overarching goal of this mixed methods proposal is to collaboratively adapt Family Navigation (FN) content, navigator activities and training for children with ASD+, identify and design technology enhancements to FN that will target key mechanisms to impact implementation, service and clinical outcomes, key interrelated outcomes for implementation research. The research team will leverage existing partnerships with primary care practices and lay health worker organizations in San Diego County to establish a community-academic partnership that will guide adaptations to FN for children with ASD+ (Aim 1), co-design of the navigator-facing technology enhancements (Aim 2) and trial the adapted and technology-enhanced FN (Aim 3).

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

65

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • California
      • San Diego, California, United States, 92093
        • UCSD

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

6 months to 12 years (Child)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Inclusion Criteria for Primary Care Providers

  1. Employed as staff at participating primary care practice
  2. Experience providing primary care to children with ASD
  3. For Aim 3 only: Has at least five eligible children on current caseload

Inclusion Criteria for Child/Caregiver Participants (Aim 3 only)

  1. Child age 4-16 years.
  2. Child has a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder documented in medical chart.
  3. Child is receiving primary care at a participating primary care practice.
  4. Child screens in the clinically significant range on the Pediatric Symptom Checklist at baseline.
  5. Speaks English or Spanish.
  6. Caregiver of an eligible child.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Sequential Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: 1 Month Baseline Period
Initial baseline period for rollout at 6 different clinics throughout the year-long intervention period using a step-wedge design.
Experimental: Stage 1 Enrollment
Enrollment of 2 clinics over 4 months including 5 PCPs per clinic (2 total clinics).
Behavioral: ATTAIN NAV Technology-Enhanced Family Navigation Model
The purpose of ATTAIN NAV is to test the impact of family navigation in multiple primary care clinics in Southern California for children with autism who have additional mental health needs. Family navigation includes: screening and behavioral health referral, supporting access to behavioral health services, engaging in evidence-based treatment, monitoring to achieve family goals, family strengthening, and connecting to concrete resources.
Experimental: Stage 2 Enrollment
Addition of 2 clinics with modifications over 4 months including 5 PCPs per clinic (4 total clinics).
Behavioral: ATTAIN NAV Technology-Enhanced Family Navigation Model
The purpose of ATTAIN NAV is to test the impact of family navigation in multiple primary care clinics in Southern California for children with autism who have additional mental health needs. Family navigation includes: screening and behavioral health referral, supporting access to behavioral health services, engaging in evidence-based treatment, monitoring to achieve family goals, family strengthening, and connecting to concrete resources.
Experimental: Stage 3 Enrollment
Addition of 2 clinics with modifications over 4 months including 5 PCPs per clinic (4 total clinics).
Behavioral: ATTAIN NAV Technology-Enhanced Family Navigation Model
The purpose of ATTAIN NAV is to test the impact of family navigation in multiple primary care clinics in Southern California for children with autism who have additional mental health needs. Family navigation includes: screening and behavioral health referral, supporting access to behavioral health services, engaging in evidence-based treatment, monitoring to achieve family goals, family strengthening, and connecting to concrete resources.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Acceptability of Intervention Measure (AIM)
Time Frame: Distributed at study completion, an average of 1 year.
4-item questionnaire measure adapted for the ATTAIN NAV study to assess acceptability of the overall adapted FN intervention. Four-item measures of implementation outcomes that are considered indicators of implementation success. Response Scale: 1 = Completely disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Neither agree nor disagree, 4 = Agree, 5 = Completely agree. Scoring Instructions: Scales can be created for each measure by averaging responses. Scale values range from 1 to 5. No items need to be reverse coded. Higher scores indicate a better outcome.
Distributed at study completion, an average of 1 year.
Feasibility of Intervention Measure (FIM)
Time Frame: Distributed at study completion, an average of 1 year.
4-item questionnaire measure adapted for the ATTAIN NAV study to assess feasibility of the overall adapted FN intervention. Four-item measures of implementation outcomes that are considered indicators of implementation success. Response Scale: 1 = Completely disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Neither agree nor disagree, 4 = Agree, 5 = Completely agree. Scoring Instructions: Scales can be created for each measure by averaging responses. Scale values range from 1 to 5. No items need to be reverse coded. Higher scores indicate a better outcome.
Distributed at study completion, an average of 1 year.
Appropriateness of Intervention Measure (AIM)
Time Frame: Distributed at study completion, an average of 1 year.
4-item questionnaire measure adapted for the ATTAIN NAV study to assess appropriateness of the overall adapted FN intervention. Four-item measures of implementation outcomes that are considered indicators of implementation success. Response Scale: 1 = Completely disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Neither agree nor disagree, 4 = Agree, 5 = Completely agree. Scoring Instructions: Scales can be created for each measure by averaging responses. Scale values range from 1 to 5. No items need to be reverse coded. Higher scores indicate a better outcome.
Distributed at study completion, an average of 1 year.
the Navigation Satisfaction Tool (NAVSAT)
Time Frame: Measured at the completion of family navigation services for each family, approximately 4 months after enrolling.
22 item questionnaire assess satisfaction with the relationship with the navigator and with the referred services to which the navigator facilitated access. Response scale: 1= Extremely Dissatisfied 2=Dissatisfied 3=Fairly Dissatisfied 4= Not dissatisfied nor satisfied 5= Fairly Satisfied 6= Satisfied 7= Extremely Satisfied. Higher scores indicate a better outcome.
Measured at the completion of family navigation services for each family, approximately 4 months after enrolling.
Navigator Fidelity
Time Frame: Measured at the completion of family navigation services for each family, approximately 4 months after enrolling.
The investigators will adapt fidelity procedures (observational and self-report) from the navigator training curriculum used in MOST. Fidelity will be defined as demonstrating mastery on at least 80% of all components (e.g., navigator introduces purpose of navigation during initial contact, conducts assessment on barriers to attendance of first MH appointment). Fidelity will be measured at the completion of the navigator protocol for each family.
Measured at the completion of family navigation services for each family, approximately 4 months after enrolling.
Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI)
Time Frame: Measured at the start and completion of family navigation services for each family, approximately week 0 and 4 months after enrolling.
The ECBI is a 36-item caregiver-report measure that assesses the frequency and intensity of child behavior problems. It has shown sensitivity to change over time. There are two scores: an Intensity score (frequency of behaviors) and a Problem (number of challenging behaviors) score. Both are converted into t-scores (M =50; SD=10). Scoring: on a 1-7 scale: How often does this occur with your child? ranging from (1) Never to (7) Always. There is a secondary scale that asks is this a problem for you? Yes/No.
Measured at the start and completion of family navigation services for each family, approximately week 0 and 4 months after enrolling.
Parent Activation Measure for Developmental Disabilities (PAM-DD)
Time Frame: Measured at the completion of family navigation services for each family, approximately 4 months after enrolling.
This 13-item measure will be used to examine changes in caregiver knowledge, skill and confidence to manage their child. The PAM-DD also includes a rating scale of perceived caregiver activation level. The scale ranges from (1) strongly disagree to (4) strongly agree. A higher score indicates a more positive rating.
Measured at the completion of family navigation services for each family, approximately 4 months after enrolling.
Parent Participation Engagement Measure
Time Frame: Measured at the completion of family navigation services for each family, approximately 4 months after enrolling.
A 5-item parent-report measure of active caregiver engagement in youth mental health services. Each item assesses the frequency that a parent engaged in a participation behavior (e.g., asked questions, provided input, agreed with the plan) during a MH appointment on a 5-point scale ranging from (1) Not at all to (5) very much. To additionally capture family engagement, the investigators will track the number of contacts between the navigator and family during the interval between the PCP referral to navigation and the first completed MH appointment.
Measured at the completion of family navigation services for each family, approximately 4 months after enrolling.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

University of California, San Diego

Collaborators

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Kaiser Permanente

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

May 1, 2022

Primary Completion (Actual)

July 30, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

August 30, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

April 7, 2022

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 19, 2022

First Posted (Actual)

April 25, 2022

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

January 6, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 2, 2026

Last Verified

January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 200147
  • 1R34MH120190-01A1 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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