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Alcohol-induced DisordersPhase 1NCT05023317

Strengths-based Linkage to Alcohol Care (SLAC) for Hazardous Drinkers in Primary Care

A Phase 1 study testing Strengths-based linkage to alcohol care in people with Alcohol-induced Disorders and Alcohol Drinking, run by VA Office of Research and Development at 2 sites in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

This pilot study will determine the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of Strengths-based Linkage to Alcohol Care (SLAC; a behavioral intervention) to link Veterans, identified as hazardous drinkers in VHA primary care, to alcohol care. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
What is being tested?
Strengths-based linkage to alcohol care
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
140 participants
Where
2 sitesUnited States
Study dates
1 Jan 2021to 31 Dec 2025
Phase
Phase 1
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Have screened positive for hazardous drinking (AUDIT-C score > 5)
  • PTSD (PC-PTSD-5 score > 3) and/or depression (PHQ-2 score > 3) in the prior 12 months and have positive rescreens
  • Not have received specialty SUD treatment or participated in weekly mutual-help groups in the past 90-days
  • Not have significant cognitive impairment
  • Have ongoing access to a mobile or landline telephone
  • Provide at least one contact who will know the Veteran's contact information

Who cannot join

  • Not meeting any of the inclusion criteria

Trial locations and contacts

2 sites in 1 country.

United States2 sites
  • Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System , Little Rock, AR

    Little Rock, Arkansas, 72205

  • VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA

    Palo Alto, California, 94304-1207

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Multi-site Pilot Trial of Strengths-based Linkage to Alcohol Care (SLAC) for Hazardous Drinkers in Primary Care

This pilot study will determine the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of Strengths-based Linkage to Alcohol Care (SLAC; a behavioral intervention) to link Veterans, identified as hazardous drinkers in VHA primary care, to alcohol care. Participants screening positive in VA primary care for hazardous drinking and posttraumatic stress disorders (PTSD) and/or depression in the past year will be recruited. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two study conditions - SLAC plus usual care or usual care only. The investigators will determine the feasibility of conducting a larger scale study to evaluate SLAC in primary care and SLAC's acceptability among key stakeholders (e.g., Veterans, primary care providers). Other outcomes will include exploring whether SLAC improves linkage to an alcohol care or help option and/or reduces alcohol use and mental health (PTSD, depression) symptoms.

Read the detailed description

Background: It is important for Veterans with hazardous drinking to link to evidence-based alcohol care given high rates of comorbid mental health symptoms (PTSD, depression). Veterans with symptoms of PTSD who engage in hazardous drinking are at high risk for developing more severe drinking problems and depression. And Veterans with PTSD or depression are three to four times more likely to report hazardous drinking than Veterans without either of these disorders. This project will determine the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of Strengths-based Linkage to Alcohol Care (SLAC) to link Veterans, identified as hazardous drinkers in VHA primary care (PC), to alcohol care.

Significance/Impact: Existing VHA options, referral by a PC provider or mental health provider co-located in PC, for linking Veterans with hazardous drinking in PC to alcohol care are largely ineffective. Therefore, this proposal directly addresses HSR\&D priorities in the areas of Access to Care, Mental Health, and Primary Care by testing a novel approach to linking Veterans engaging in hazardous drinking, in the PC setting, to VA and non-VA alcohol care, to improve their drinking and mental health outcomes.

Innovation: This project is highly innovative because it offers a solution to the critical gap in VHA care in which PC patients with hazardous drinking are not receiving alcohol care. It tests a strategy to increase linkage to alcohol care that is both intensive enough to produce change, yet feasible to use in busy clinical settings with too-high demand on too-few staff members. In addition, the intervention proposed (SLAC) targets Veterans with the entire spectrum of hazardous drinking, including those with mental health symptoms. A highly innovative feature of SLAC is that it teaches PC providers how to link Veterans to evidence-based alcohol care instead of teaching providers how to treat hazardous drinking in the PC setting. Providers' lack of knowledge on how to treat hazardous alcohol use is a substantial obstacle to Veterans receiving alcohol care. Additional unique and innovative features of SLAC are that it uses patients' self-identified strengths, abilities, and skills to help them link to alcohol care.

Specific Aims: (Aim 1): To adapt SLAC for use among Veterans with hazardous drinking who may also have comorbid mental health symptoms, and for delivery by telephone in the VHA PC setting. The investigators will conduct qualitative interviews with Veterans, PC staff, and the VACO partners to ensure that the content and format of SLAC are adapted so they are relevant and acceptable to these stakeholders. (Aim 2): To determine (a) the feasibility of conducting a larger scale randomized controlled trial (RCT) to test SLAC's effectiveness and (b) SLAC's acceptability among hazardous drinking Veterans in PC, and to explore (c) the efficacy of SLAC among hazardous drinking Veterans in PC. To achieve Aim 2, the investigators will conduct a multi-site pilot RCT of SLAC at two VA medical facilities (Little Rock, AR and Palo Alto, CA). To achieve Aims 2a-b, the investigators will measure the feasibility (e.g., rates of enrollment and follow-up, fidelity to the SLAC intervention) of conducting a subsequent larger RCT (to test SLAC's effectiveness) and SLAC's acceptability (SLAC completion rates, satisfaction with SLAC) among Veterans. To achieve Aim 2c, the investigators will explore the efficacy of SLAC to improve Veterans' linkage and engagement in alcohol care, and their alcohol and mental health outcomes, at 3-month follow-up.

Methodology: The investigators will use (Aim 1) qualitative interviews to adapt SLAC for Veterans and for the PC setting, and (Aim 2) conduct a multi-site, pilot RCT.

Implementation/Next Steps: Should the findings justify a subsequent project, the investigators plan to propose a fully powered, multi-site study, using a Hybrid design, to test SLAC's clinical effectiveness when delivered in VHA PC while observing and gathering information on the implementation potential of SLAC in this setting.

Being tested
Strengths-based linkage to alcohol care, Usual care
Keywords
referral and consultation, psychosocial intervention
Medical subject headings
Alcohol-Induced Disorders, Alcohol Drinking, Psychological Well-Being

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Strengths-based linkage to alcohol careBehavioural

    Also called SLAC

    SLAC is a behavioral intervention designed to link persons with substance use/misuse to care

  • Usual careBehavioural

    Usual care consists of brief screening and intervention and/or standard referral to alcohol care

Study groups in NCT05023317
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Strengths-based linkage to alcohol care (SLAC)ExperimentalSLAC is a behavioral intervention designed to link persons with substance use/misuse to a care or help option
Receives: Behavioral: Strengths-based linkage to alcohol care
Usual careActive comparatorUsual care consists of brief intervention in primary care and/or standard referral to more intensive alcohol care (e.g., outpatient/inpatient, pharmacotherapy)
Receives: Behavioral: Usual care

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Linkage to alcohol care

    This outcome is a dichotomous variable (yes/no), with "yes" defined as the participant reporting at least one of the following: attended an initial meeting with an outpatient (primary care, specialty care) or residential program; attended a mutual-help group meeting; received > 30-days' supply of AUD medication; or went online to access e-health for alcohol information.

    Measured: 3-month

  2. Utilization of alcohol care

    The investigators will define utilization as the percentage of days, in the past 90-days, that participants obtained any alcohol care.

    Measured: 3-month

  3. Utilization of alcohol care options

    We will measure the total number of alcohol care options participants obtained over the past 90-days; scores will range from 0 (no care) to 4 (obtained all types of care: outpatient/residential, mutual-help, medication (>30-days' supply), e-health).

    Measured: 3-month

Secondary outcomes (3)
  1. Alcohol consumption

    The quantity and frequency of alcohol consumed will be measured using the 90-day Time Line Follow-Back (TLFB) instrument. The TLFB is a calendar that tracks alcohol consumed each day. We will combine frequency data (days of alcohol consumed) and quantity data (number of drinks consumed each day) to derive a variable measuring harmful drinking days - or days in which alcohol consumed is above NIAAA recommended limits for men and women.

    Measured: 3-month

  2. Depression

    Depression severity will be measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Scores range from 0-27. Higher scores indicate more symptoms of depression.

    Measured: 3-month

  3. Posttraumatic stress disorder

    Posttraumatic stress disorder severity will be measured using the PTSD Checklist-5. Scores range from 0-80, with higher scores indicating more symptoms of PTSD.

    Measured: 3-month

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted26 Aug 2021
  2. Study start1 Jan 2021
  3. Primary completion31 Dec 2025
  4. Study completion31 Dec 2025

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 1
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Model description
Participants will be randomized to one of two conditions-(a) strengths based linkage to alcohol care plus usual care or (b) usual care only
Masking
Double blind
Who is masked
Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
140 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT05023317
Sponsor's protocol ID
IIR 20-058
Status last verified
Jan 2026
First submitted
17 Aug 2021
Last updated
13 Jan 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Yes: Datasets meeting VA standards for disclosure to the public will be made available post-publication. Prior to distribution, a local privacy officer will certify that all datasets do not contain PHI. Final data sets will be maintained locally until enterprise-level resources become available for long-term storage and access. Guidance on request and distribution processes will be provided by ORD. Those requesting data will be asked to sign a Letter of Agreement.

Publications

  • Cucciare MA, Marchant K, Benton C, Hildebrand D, Ghaus S, Han X, Thompson RG, Timko C. Connect To Care (C2C): protocol for two-site randomized controlled pilot trial to improve outcomes for patients with hazardous drinking and PTSD and/or depression symptoms. Addict Sci Clin Pract. 2023 Aug 17;18(1):50. doi: 10.1186/s13722-023-00403-z.

    PubMed 37592359
  • Cucciare MA, Benton C, Hildebrand D, Marchant K, Ghaus S, Han X, Williams JS, Thompson RG, Timko C. Adapting an Alcohol Care Linkage Intervention to US Military Veterans Presenting to Primary Care with Hazardous Drinking and PTSD and/or Depression Symptoms: A Qualitative Study. J Clin Psychol Med Settings. 2024 Jun;31(2):417-431. doi: 10.1007/s10880-023-09986-w. Epub 2023 Dec 15.

    PubMed 38100057

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 1 study testing Strengths-based linkage to alcohol care in people with Alcohol-induced Disorders and Alcohol Drinking, run by VA Office of Research and Development at 2 sites in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 13 Jan 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 2 sites in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this phase mean?

Phase 1 studies test a treatment in a small group of people for the first time or in a new way, mainly to check safety and find the right dose.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Linkage to alcohol care (time frame: 3-month). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT05023317, which also lists 2 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 13 Jan 2026; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 8 Nov 2026.

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