Peer Engagement in Methamphetamine Harm-Reduction With Contingency Management (PEER-CM)

The main goal of this study is to tests the effect of incentivizing achievement of self-identified, personal harm reduction goals (Contingency management or CM) compared with standard of care (peer harm reduction service with incentives for peer visits) to increase the reach and effectiveness of methamphetamine (MA) harm reduction services.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Methamphetamine Abuse
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Peer Contingency Management; Behavioral: Standard of Care Contingency Management

Detailed Description

Using a hybrid type 1 effectiveness-implementation framework and stepped-wedge design, this study will randomize eighteen community-based peer harm reduction sites to provide contingency management incentives for achieving self-identified harm reduction goals set with peer specialists using a participant-driven harm reduction goal-setting process (e.g. completing overdose prevention and supply training, daily life goals, treatment and care goals, relationship and social support goals) versus standard of care contingency management (i.e. incentives for peer encounter attendance).

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 1283
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Oregon
    • Portland, Oregon, United States, 97239
      • Oregon Health & Science University
    • Portland, Oregon, United States, 97232
      • Comagine Health

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 105 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

This intervention is at the site level. Community-based organization sites are eligible if they:

• Use peer support specialists to provide direct outreach and harm reduction services to people who use drugs
• Are willing to be trained in the two strategies for peer-facilitated contingency management

Clients who:

• Age 18 and older
• Any stimulant (methamphetamine, cocaine) use in the past 30 days
• Willing to accept peer services
• Willing to complete initial and follow-up assessments with peer
• Able to communicate in English or Spanish

Exclusion Criteria:

Community-based organization sites who:

• Do not use peer support specialists to provide direct outreach and harm reduction services to people who use drugs
• Are not willing to be trained in the two strategies for peer-facilitated contingency management

Clients who:

• Present any danger or threat of violence to peers

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Sequential Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: PEER-CM; Peer-facilitated contingency management (PEER-CM).	Behavioral: Peer Contingency Management; Participants allocated to peer-facilitated contingency management will receive incentives for achieving self-identified harm reduction goals set with peer specialists using a participant-driven harm reduction goal-setting process (e.g. completing overdose prevention and supply training, daily life goals, treatment and care goals, relationship and social support goals); Other Names: PEER-CM
Active Comparator: Standard of Care; Standard of care contingency management.	Behavioral: Standard of Care Contingency Management; Participants allocated to standard of care contingency management will receive incentives for peer encounters.; Other Names: Standard of Care

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Number of participants who overdose	Test the impact of incentives for achieving self-identified, personal harm reduction goals on the likelihood of overdose among people using methamphetamine at 6 months from enrollment identified through completed assessment.	6 months from baseline
Number of participants who achieve self-identified goals	Determine whether incentives for achieving self-identified, personal harm reduction goals increases engagement with harm reduction services at 6 months from enrollment identified through completed assessment.	6 months from baseline
Number of participants who engage in substance use disorder treatment	Determine whether incentives for achieving self-identified, personal harm reduction goals increases engagement with treatment services at 6 months from enrollment identified through completed assessment.	6 months from baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Oregon Health and Science University
• Collaborators: Oregon Health Authority; Comagine Health

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Cooke A, Stack E, Peng L, Cook R, Hartzler B, Leichtling G, Hildebran C, Leahy JM, Payne KS, Kunkel LE, Hoffman K, Korthuis PT. The peers expanding engagement in stimulant harm reduction with contingency management study: a protocol paper. Addict Sci Clin Pract. 2025 Jun 10;20(1):48. doi: 10.1186/s13722-025-00577-8.
• Peng L, Stack E, Cooke A, Hartzler B, Cook R, Leichtling G, Hildebran C, Leahy J, Payne KS, Kunkel L, Hoffman K, Korthuis PT. Centering peers in design and training for a peer-delivered contingency management program for self-identified harm reduction and treatment goals. Harm Reduct J. 2025 May 6;22(Suppl 1):72. doi: 10.1186/s12954-025-01213-z.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): November 13, 2023
• Primary Completion (Estimated): September 30, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): September 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 17, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 17, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): January 26, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): January 14, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 12, 2026
• Last Verified: January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Health Services Administration; Health Care Quality, Access, and Evaluation; Quality of Health Care; Quality Indicators, Health Care; Standard of Care
• Other Study ID Numbers: PEER-CM

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
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No