The National Institute on Drug Abuse awarded Chestnut Health Systems Inc. $1.327 million on September 15, 2025, under the Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs (CFDA 93.279) to conduct a hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial evaluating Recovery Management Checkups (RMC) scalability and sustainability for individuals involved in the criminal justice system.
Chestnut will integrate RMC—an evidence-based intervention using structured, motivational-interviewing-based protocols delivered by linkage managers—into community-based programs across four discrete high-risk areas in Chicago where substance-related fatality and arrest rates are highest. The trial will test the equivalence of client and implementation outcomes when RMC is delivered by community program staff versus Chestnut research staff, guided by the EPIS (Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainability) framework. Approximately 150 people per target area who report using opioids, stimulants, and/or alcohol at least weekly in the past 90 days will be recruited between arrest and first court appearance, then randomly assigned at a 2:1 ratio to receive RMC from either an adopter site or Chestnut research staff. External facilitation will support RMC implementation at adopter sites. Study collaborators include the Cook County Sheriff, SUD treatment providers, community-based service programs, and a community advisory board.
The award runs through May 31, 2030, with place of performance at Chestnut's Bloomington, Illinois location.