Helping Adolescents in Substance Use Treatment Through a Technology-Supported Parenting Program

Improving Outcomes of Adolescents in Residential Substance use Treatment via a Technology-Assisted Parenting Intervention

NIH-funded research Northwestern University · NIH-11083700

This project offers a technology-assisted parenting program to help adolescents in residential substance use treatment and reduce their risk of relapse.

Quick facts

Grant typeR37 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionNorthwestern University NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Chicago, United States)
Project IDNIH-11083700 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

Adolescents in residential substance use treatment often face serious challenges and have a high chance of relapsing after leaving care. We know that how parents communicate and monitor their children plays a big role in their recovery. This program, called Parent SMART, uses a computer-based tool called Parenting Wisely to help parents learn new skills. Our goal is to make this support accessible and effective for families, working alongside the usual care adolescents receive.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates are adolescents currently in residential substance use treatment and their parents.

Not a fit: Patients not in residential substance use treatment or those whose parents are unable to participate may not receive direct benefit from this specific intervention.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this program could significantly reduce relapse rates for adolescents after residential substance use treatment by improving family support.

How similar studies have performed: This program builds on prior successful work and uses a core intervention, Parenting Wisely, that has shown strong evidence of improving parenting skills and reducing youth behavior problems in other clinical trials.

Where this research is happening

Chicago, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.