Mental IllnessFNPNCT06290648
Forging New Paths: Building Interventions to Treat Criminogenic Needs in Community Based Mental Health Settings
A study testing Forging New Paths in people with Mental Illness, run by University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to conduct a preliminary test of the effectiveness of Forging New Paths for people with mental illness with criminal legal system contact. The main question[s] it aims to answer are: 1. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Mental Illness
- What is being tested?
- Forging New Paths
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 54 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 1 Apr 2024to 5 Feb 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- 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
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- aged 18 years or older,
- have a diagnosis of schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders or major depression or bipolar disorder, ( - have a history of any type of criminal justice system involvement (i.e., arrest, conviction, incarceration, or probation/parole),
- reside in the community and receive services from the Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health or one of their partner agencies and,
- have moderate or higher levels of criminogenic risk factors as determined by the Level of Service and Case Management Inventory (LS/CMI).
Who cannot join
- an intellectual or developmental disability,
- incarceration at the point of study enrollment,
- non-English speakers.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599
About this study
The goal of this clinical trial is to conduct a preliminary test of the effectiveness of Forging New Paths for people with mental illness with criminal legal system contact. The main question[s] it aims to answer are:
- To examine the effectiveness of Forging New Paths at improving the primary study outcomes (aggression and community tenure).
- To test the ability of Forging New Paths to engage the study treatment targets (impulsivity and criminal attitudes)
Participants will complete a screening interviews to see if they are eligible. Participants who are eligible will be randomly assigned to participate in one of two study conditions: Forging New Paths and usual care or usual care alone. All participants who are assigned to a study condition will participate in up to three additional research interviews. Researchers will also collect information about study outcomes using administrative records.
Read the detailed description
The failure of traditional mental health services to significantly reduce the disproportionate involvement of people with serious mental illnesses (MI) in the criminal justice system highlights a basic but overlooked fact: mental illness is not a primary driver of criminal justice involvement. Research has consistently shown that people with mental illness face the same risk factors for justice involvement (i.e., "criminogenic" rick factors) as those without mental illnesses. Research has also found that justice-involved people with MI have high levels of criminogenic risk factors and that these risk factors mediate their risk of recidivism. Yet, most interventions for justice-involved people with MI do not target criminogenic risk factors as a goal of treatment.
This gap between research and service provision represents untapped potential to reduce rates of justice involvement among people with MI by expanding their continuum of services to include interventions that directly target criminogenic risk factors. Given that up to 50% of people with MI receiving treatment in the community-based mental health system have had some criminal justice system involvement, developing criminogenic-focused interventions designed specifically for delivery in community mental health settings has great potential to optimize their potential impact, both in terms of numbers of people with MI who can benefit and in terms of potential reductions in future criminal justice involvement.
This study will engage a pilot effectiveness trial of a newly developed intervention to examine the extent to which Forging New Paths (FNP) impacts its intended targets (mediating mechanisms) and outcomes among individuals with MI who have been involved in the criminal justice system receiving services through the community mental health system. The study will use a randomized controlled design to assign participants to one of the two study arms: 1) the study intervention FNP and usual care (experimental condition) or 2) usual care alone (control condition). This small scale randomized controlled trial explores the potential effectiveness of FNP at improving outcomes (aggression and community tenure) and engaging treatment targets (impulsivity and criminal attitudes).
All study participants will complete a screening interview to determine study eligibility. Participants who meet the study eligibility criteria will be randomized into one of the two study arms. All participants who are randomized to a study arm will complete up to three additional interviews: the baseline interview and 3- and 6-month follow-up interviews. Additionally, administrative data related study outcomes is collected at the 9-month time point.
- Conditions
- Mental Illness
- Being tested
- Forging New Paths
- Medical subject headings
- Mental Disorders
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Forging New PathsBehavioural
The study intervention is Forging New Paths (FNP) a newly developed intervention for people with mental illness with criminal legal system involvement that is designed to be delivered in community mental health settings. FNP combines Cognitive Behavioral Treatment (CBT) techniques with social learning principles in a group format. The intervention is organized into a modular format to create a flexible intervention structure. It includes 5 treatment modules each consisting of two to four group sessions for a total of 14-16 sessions, which may be delivered over multiple meetings at the facilitators' discretion. The intervention is designed to be delivered to 8-12 people by two intervention facilitators. It can be delivered in person, virtually, or in a hybrid format.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Experimental: Forging New Paths + Usual Care | Experimental | The experimental condition receives Forging New Paths in addition to community based mental health services as determined by their treatment providers. Receives: Behavioral: Forging New Paths |
| Control: Usual Care Alone | No intervention | The control condition receives community based mental health services as determined by their treatment providers. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in Levels of Aggression Score from Baseline to Month 3
Aggression Questionnaire (Bryant \& Smith, 2001) - Short Form is a 12-item measure with four subscales: physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger, and hostility. Items are scored on a 6-point Likert scale. Scores range from 12 to 72. The higher the score the more aggression present.
Measured: Baseline, Month 3
Change in Levels of Aggression Score From Baseline to Month 6
Aggression Questionnaire (Bryant \& Smith, 2001) - Short Form is a 12-item measure with four subscales: physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger, and hostility. Items are scored on a 6-point Likert scale. Scores range from 12 to 72. The higher the score the more aggression present.
Measured: Baseline, Month 6
Community Tenure
A dichotomous variable indicating any disruption in a person's tenure in living in the community. A disruption includes any new criminal convictions or any inpatient hospitalization for any psychiatric reason during the study follow-up period (i.e., the period extending from the 3-month follow-up period through the 9-month follow-up period).
Measured: Month 3 through Month 9
Secondary outcomes (2)
Change in Overall Criminal Attitudes Score
The Measure of Criminal Attitudes and Associates (MCAA) Part B, is a 46-item measure. Responses are recorded in an agree/disagree format. MCAA includes four scales: attitudes toward violence, sentiments of entitlement, antisocial intent, and associates. Scores range from 0 to 46. Lower scores indicate lower levels of criminal attitudes.
Measured: Baseline, Month 3
Change in Overall Impulsivity Score
Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) is a 30 item self-report measure (Patton \& Barratt, 1995). Items scored on a 4-point Likert scale. It is comprised of six subscales including attention, cognitive instability, perseverance, self-control, motor impulsiveness, and cognitive complexity. The total score ranges from 30 to 120. Lower scores indicate lower levels of impulsiveness.
Measured: Baseline, Month 3
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted4 Mar 2024
- Study start1 Apr 2024
- Primary completion5 Feb 2026
- Study completion5 Feb 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (4)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Mental IllnessStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of North Carolina, Chapel HillThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
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 N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 54 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Amy Wilson, PhD, Principal investigator, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06290648
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 22-0868
- Other IDs
- 5R34MH130555
- Acronym
- FNP
- Status last verified
- May 2026
- First submitted
- 26 Feb 2024
- Last updated
- 23 Jul 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: The study will provide de-identified data to NIMH National Data Archives.
Publications
Bryant, F. B., & Smith, B. D. (2001). Refining the architecture of aggression: A measurement model for the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire. Journal of Research in Personality, 35(2), 138-167.
Mills JF, Kroner DG, Forth AE. Measures of Criminal Attitudes and Associates (MCAA): development, factor structure, reliability, and validity. Assessment. 2002 Sep;9(3):240-53. doi: 10.1177/1073191102009003003.
PubMed 12216781Patton JH, Stanford MS, Barratt ES. Factor structure of the Barratt impulsiveness scale. J Clin Psychol. 1995 Nov;51(6):768-74. doi: 10.1002/1097-4679(199511)51:63.0.co;2-1.
PubMed 8778124Wilson AB, Bonfine N, Phillips J, Swaine J, Scanlon F, Parisi A, Ginley C, Morgan R. Forging new paths in the development of community mental health interventions for people with mental illness at risk of criminal legal system contact. Health Justice. 2025 Jan 11;13(1):3. doi: 10.1186/s40352-025-00315-x.
PubMed 39794641
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 23 Jul 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Forging New Paths: Building Interventions to Treat Criminogenic Needs in Community Based Mental Health Settings
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06290648
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- FNP / 22-0868
- Conditions
- Mental Illness
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 54 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of North Carolina, Chapel HillUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
- Study start
- 1 Apr 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 5 Feb 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 5 Feb 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 4 Mar 2024 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The goal of this clinical trial is to conduct a preliminary test of the effectiveness of Forging New Paths for people with mental illness with criminal legal system contact. The main question[s] it aims to answer are:
- To examine the effectiveness of Forging New Paths at improving the primary study outcomes (aggression and community tenure).
- To test the ability of Forging New Paths to engage the study treatment targets (impulsivity and criminal attitudes)
Participants will complete a screening interviews to see if they are eligible. Participants who are eligible will be randomly assigned to participate in one of two study conditions: Forging New Paths and usual care or usual care alone. All participants who are assigned to a study condition will participate in up to three additional research interviews. Researchers will also collect information about study outcomes using administrative records.
Detailed description
The failure of traditional mental health services to significantly reduce the disproportionate involvement of people with serious mental illnesses (MI) in the criminal justice system highlights a basic but overlooked fact: mental illness is not a primary driver of criminal justice involvement. Research has consistently shown that people with mental illness face the same risk factors for justice involvement (i.e., "criminogenic" rick factors) as those without mental illnesses. Research has also found that justice-involved people with MI have high levels of criminogenic risk factors and that these risk factors mediate their risk of recidivism. Yet, most interventions for justice-involved people with MI do not target criminogenic risk factors as a goal of treatment.
This gap between research and service provision represents untapped potential to reduce rates of justice involvement among people with MI by expanding their continuum of services to include interventions that directly target criminogenic risk factors. Given that up to 50% of people with MI receiving treatment in the community-based mental health system have had some criminal justice system involvement, developing criminogenic-focused interventions designed specifically for delivery in community mental health settings has great potential to optimize their potential impact, both in terms of numbers of people with MI who can benefit and in terms of potential reductions in future criminal justice involvement.
This study will engage a pilot effectiveness trial of a newly developed intervention to examine the extent to which Forging New Paths (FNP) impacts its intended targets (mediating mechanisms) and outcomes among individuals with MI who have been involved in the criminal justice system receiving services through the community mental health system. The study will use a randomized controlled design to assign participants to one of the two study arms: 1) the study intervention FNP and usual care (experimental condition) or 2) usual care alone (control condition). This small scale randomized controlled trial explores the potential effectiveness of FNP at improving outcomes (aggression and community tenure) and engaging treatment targets (impulsivity and criminal attitudes).
All study participants will complete a screening interview to determine study eligibility. Participants who meet the study eligibility criteria will be randomized into one of the two study arms. All participants who are randomized to a study arm will complete up to three additional interviews: the baseline interview and 3- and 6-month follow-up interviews. Additionally, administrative data related study outcomes is collected at the 9-month time point.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Experimental: Forging New Paths + Usual Care | Experimental | Behavioral: Forging New PathsThe experimental condition receives Forging New Paths in addition to community based mental health services as determined by their treatment providers. |
| Control: Usual Care Alone | No intervention | –The control condition receives community based mental health services as determined by their treatment providers. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- aged 18 years or older,
- have a diagnosis of schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders or major depression or bipolar disorder, ( - have a history of any type of criminal justice system involvement (i.e., arrest, conviction, incarceration, or probation/parole),
- reside in the community and receive services from the Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health or one of their partner agencies and,
- have moderate or higher levels of criminogenic risk factors as determined by the Level of Service and Case Management Inventory (LS/CMI).
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- an intellectual or developmental disability,
- incarceration at the point of study enrollment,
- non-English speakers.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Forging New PathsThe study intervention is Forging New Paths (FNP) a newly developed intervention for people with mental illness with criminal legal system involvement that is designed to be delivered in community mental health settings. FNP combines Cognitive Behavioral Treatment (CBT) techniques with social learning principles in a group format. The intervention is organized into a modular format to create a flexible intervention structure. It includes 5 treatment modules each consisting of two to four group sessions for a total of 14-16 sessions, which may be delivered over multiple meetings at the facilitators' discretion. The intervention is designed to be delivered to 8-12 people by two intervention facilitators. It can be delivered in person, virtually, or in a hybrid format. | Behavioural | Experimental: Forging New Paths + Usual Care |
Primary outcome
Change in Levels of Aggression Score from Baseline to Month 3
Time frame: Baseline, Month 3
Aggression Questionnaire (Bryant \& Smith, 2001) - Short Form is a 12-item measure with four subscales: physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger, and hostility. Items are scored on a 6-point Likert scale. Scores range from 12 to 72. The higher the score the more aggression present.
Change in Levels of Aggression Score From Baseline to Month 6
Time frame: Baseline, Month 6
Aggression Questionnaire (Bryant \& Smith, 2001) - Short Form is a 12-item measure with four subscales: physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger, and hostility. Items are scored on a 6-point Likert scale. Scores range from 12 to 72. The higher the score the more aggression present.
Community Tenure
Time frame: Month 3 through Month 9
A dichotomous variable indicating any disruption in a person's tenure in living in the community. A disruption includes any new criminal convictions or any inpatient hospitalization for any psychiatric reason during the study follow-up period (i.e., the period extending from the 3-month follow-up period through the 9-month follow-up period).
2 secondary outcomes
Change in Overall Criminal Attitudes Score
Time frame: Baseline, Month 3
Change in Overall Impulsivity Score
Time frame: Baseline, Month 3
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 23 Jul 2026.
- BackgroundBryant, F. B., & Smith, B. D. (2001). Refining the architecture of aggression: A measurement model for the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire. Journal of Research in Personality, 35(2), 138-167.
- Background: PubMed 12216781Mills JF, Kroner DG, Forth AE. Measures of Criminal Attitudes and Associates (MCAA): development, factor structure, reliability, and validity. Assessment. 2002 Sep;9(3):240-53. doi: 10.1177/1073191102009003003.
- Background: PubMed 8778124Patton JH, Stanford MS, Barratt ES. Factor structure of the Barratt impulsiveness scale. J Clin Psychol. 1995 Nov;51(6):768-74. doi: 10.1002/1097-4679(199511)51:63.0.co;2-1.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 39794641Wilson AB, Bonfine N, Phillips J, Swaine J, Scanlon F, Parisi A, Ginley C, Morgan R. Forging new paths in the development of community mental health interventions for people with mental illness at risk of criminal legal system contact. Health Justice. 2025 Jan 11;13(1):3. doi: 10.1186/s40352-025-00315-x.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. The study will provide de-identified data to NIMH National Data Archives.
Related trials for Mental Illness
Not yet recruiting
Effect of Stress Ball Use During Femoral Arterial Sheath Removal After Coronary Angiography
Femoral Arterial Sheath Removal, Stress Ball
RecruitingPhase 2
Neuroplasticity Enhancement From Cognitive Training Reinforced by Psilocybin
Alzheimer's Disease
Enrolling by invitationPhase 3
An Open-Label Study to Assess the Long-Term Safety of Solriamfetol in Children and Adolescents With ADHD
ADHD
Recruiting
Unified Protocol in Penitentiary Facilities
Depression Disorders, Anxiety
Recruiting
Safety and Performance of UCon Patch Electrode
Urinary Incontinence, Urinary Incontinence, Urge
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Amy Wilson, PhD principal investigator
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Forging New Paths in people with Mental Illness, run by University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill at 1 site 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 4 inclusion and 3 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 23 Jul 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site 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.
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?
Change in Levels of Aggression Score from Baseline to Month 3 (time frame: Baseline, Month 3). 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 NCT06290648, which also lists 4 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 23 Jul 2026.