 |
The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
|
The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Michael S. Levy, PhD, CAB Health & Recovery Services, Inc., 111 Middleton Road, Danvers, MA 01923, Mira Levinson, MPH, JSI Research and Training Institute, Inc., 44 Farnsworth Street, Boston, MA 02210, 617-482-9485, michael_levy@cabhealth.org, Rodolfo R. Vega, PhD, JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc., 44 Farnsworth Street, Boston, MA 02210-1211, Gary R. Langis, Massachusetts Prevention Center, CAB Health & Recovery Services, Inc., 100 Cummings Center, Suite 115-A, Beverly, MA 01915, and Verny Samayoa, MS, Lynn Community Health Center, 269 Union Street, Lynn, MA 01901.
This presentation describes the efforts of Proyecto Encuentros, a community based program to identify, outreach, engage, and retain Hispanic/Latino and other minority injection drug users (IDU) at risk for HIV into substance abuse treatment. Proyecto Encuentros is located in Lynn, Massachusetts, and integrates outreach activities, assertive case management and referral, and expanded treatment capacity to reduce the proportion of minority HIV/AIDS cases and increase the numbers of minorities in treatment to more accurately reflect representation in the total population. These strategies combine evidence based principles for outreach and substance abuse treatment including the role of social networks, culturally tailored and client-focused case management and indigenous staff in successfully reaching, engaging and retaining target populations. Together, the newly combined resources provide a new array of culturally appropriate services for Latino/Hispanic and other minority IDU. These services are expected to lead to outcomes that include the following: an increase in the number of minority, especially Hispanic IDU referred to treatment and admitted to the lead agency's treatment continuum; retention for at least 6 months in an appropriate level of care of 80 new members of the target population each year; and a decrease in the number of HIV cases among uninfected minority IDU from the target communities. Data on case management activities, outreach contacts, and inter-organizational linkages are also provided. Findings are discussed and interpreted in the context of culture and community-specific factors.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) will be able to
Keywords: Substance Abuse Treatment, HIV Interventions
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.