Reducing Parental Substance Use and Enhancing Family Resilience Among Rural Families Through Ohio START

The goal of this observational study is to learn about the roles played by parental activity spaces and social networks in reducing parental substance use and promoting child and family health outcomes in the context of Ohio START (Sobriety, Treatment, and Reducing Trauma) for families in rural areas. This study will investigate if substance use treatment service referrals and family peer mentoring services provided by Ohio START lead to positive changes in parental activity spaces and social networks, and if these positive changes lead to better child and family outcomes. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does having behavioral health services (referred by Ohio START workers) close to where parents spend their time help with substance use recovery and child health? * Does peer mentor support through Ohio START help parents build stronger social connections and family resilience, and does this lead to better long-term family health? * Do these associations differ in rural areas compared to urban areas? Participants will: * Answer survey questions about their substance use, parenting, child health, and family well-being across three waves (Wave 1: when they enroll in the study, Wave 2: 6-month follow-up, and Wave 3: 12-month follow-up) * Share information about places they go regularly (such as work, stores, and healthcare visits) * Share information about people in their support network

NCT Number	NCT07278427
Lead Sponsor	Ohio State University Collaborators: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), University of Michigan
Conditions	Substance Use Disorder (SUD), Rural Health, Family Resilience, Child Maltreatment, Child Well-beiing, Substance Use Recovery
Enrollment	400 participants
Start Date	2026-05-21
Primary Completion	2028-02-29 (estimated)
Study Completion	2030-08-01 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-07-22