Results from a peer recovery coach-delivered future orientation intervention for returning citizens in substance use treatment: feasibility and preliminary outcomes
5 affiliations
- 1Department of Psychology, Wayne State University
- 2Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research, University of Kansas
- 3Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health, Michigan State University
- 4Detroit Recovery Project
- 5Center for Health Policy & Health Services Research, Henry Ford Health System
Abstract
Introduction Returning citizens with substance use disorders (SUD) make numerous decisions that involve engaging in behaviors with short-term, immediate rewards (i.e. the pleasurable effects of returning to use) relative to those with longer-term, but delayed, benefits (i.e. engaging in treatment), often in the context of resource-poor and unstable environments. Successful navigation of the reentry period may require making future-oriented decisions; yet previous research suggests that incarcerated individuals and those with SUD evidence steeper rates of delay discounting, or tendency to devalue something as a function of the delay of its receipt. Episodic future thinking has been shown to reduce delay discounting and improve decision-making, suggesting it may be particularly well-suited to support healthy decision-making among justice-involved populations. The current study evaluated the implementation potential and preliminary effectiveness of an episodic future thinking intervention adapted for individuals during the reentry period to reduce delay discounting and improve related clinical outcomes. Method Returning citizens (n = 40) who identified as in recovery from SUD and had experienced incarceration within 12 months prior to enrollment were recruited to participate in a randomized controlled trial. Participants received either a brief (60-min) adapted episodic future thinking intervention or a control intervention that did not activate future thinking. Both interventions were administered by a peer recovery coach in a community setting. Participants then completed weekly check-ins for up to four weeks and were assessed one month after the intervention. Results Findings suggest that peer-delivered episodic future thinking was feasible and acceptable, and could be delivered with fidelity. Additionally, participants in the active condition experienced significant decreases in delay discounting, significant increases in considerations of future consequences, and increases in the presence of protective factors that may support longer-term recovery. Participants in the control condition did not experience changes in clinically-relevant outcomes. Conclusion Results of this study provide preliminary support for the implementation potential and effectiveness of brief, peer-delivered intervention focused on improving decision-making during the reentry period.
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BibTeX
@article{sulaiman2026results,
title = {{Results from a peer recovery coach-delivered future orientation intervention for returning citizens in substance use treatment: feasibility and preliminary outcomes}},
author = {Salam Sulaiman and Richard Yi and Jennifer E. Johnson and Andre Johnson and Ashley Kucera and Jaclyn M. Johnson and Adhithi Keerthana Athikumar and Aanandita Bali and Julia W. Felton},
journal = {Health \& Justice},
year = {2026},
month = jun,
doi = {10.1186/s40352-026-00427-y},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s40352-026-00427-y},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Results from a peer recovery coach-delivered future orientation intervention for returning citizens in substance use treatment: feasibility and preliminary outcomes
AU - Salam Sulaiman
AU - Richard Yi
AU - Jennifer E. Johnson
AU - Andre Johnson
AU - Ashley Kucera
AU - Jaclyn M. Johnson
AU - Adhithi Keerthana Athikumar
AU - Aanandita Bali
AU - Julia W. Felton
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/06/01
JO - Health & Justice
DO - 10.1186/s40352-026-00427-y
UR - https://doi.org/10.1186/s40352-026-00427-y
AB - Introduction Returning citizens with substance use disorders (SUD) make numerous decisions that involve engaging in behaviors with short-term, immediate rewards (i.e. the pleasurable effects of returning to use) relative to those with longer-term, but delayed, benefits (i.e. engaging in treatment), often in the context of resource-poor and unstable environments. Successful navigation of the reentry period may require making future-oriented decisions; yet previous research suggests that incarcerated individuals and those with SUD evidence steeper rates of delay discounting, or tendency to devalue something as a function of the delay of its receipt. Episodic future thinking has been shown to reduce delay discounting and improve decision-making, suggesting it may be particularly well-suited to support healthy decision-making among justice-involved populations. The current study evaluated the implementation potential and preliminary effectiveness of an episodic future thinking intervention adapted for individuals during the reentry period to reduce delay discounting and improve related clinical outcomes. Method Returning citizens (n = 40) who identified as in recovery from SUD and had experienced incarceration within 12 months prior to enrollment were recruited to participate in a randomized controlled trial. Participants received either a brief (60-min) adapted episodic future thinking intervention or a control intervention that did not activate future thinking. Both interventions were administered by a peer recovery coach in a community setting. Participants then completed weekly check-ins for up to four weeks and were assessed one month after the intervention. Results Findings suggest that peer-delivered episodic future thinking was feasible and acceptable, and could be delivered with fidelity. Additionally, participants in the active condition experienced significant decreases in delay discounting, significant increases in considerations of future consequences, and increases in the presence of protective factors that may support longer-term recovery. Participants in the control condition did not experience changes in clinically-relevant outcomes. Conclusion Results of this study provide preliminary support for the implementation potential and effectiveness of brief, peer-delivered intervention focused on improving decision-making during the reentry period.
SN - 2194-7899
ER -