The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #43947

G. J. Huba, PhD¹, Lisa A. Melchior, PhD¹, Ruth I. Slaughter², Vivian B. Brown, PhD², Michael V. Dela Cruz¹, Sara N. Bleich¹, Alexi A. Saldamando¹, and Celia M. Stillwell¹. (1) The Measurement Group, 5811A Uplander Way, Culver City, CA 90230, 310-216-1051, ghuba@themeasurementgroup.com, (2) PROTOTYPES, 5601 West Slauson Avenue, Suite 200, Culver City, CA 90230

Wide dissemination of successful care models for substance abusing women is critical to expanding service capacity for serving this at-risk population and advancing the state-of-the-art. An online CyberTour has been developed to share one such model and its outcomes. The CyberTour allows rapid dissemination of this unique intervention. The program, based on a treatment readiness model, starts with outreach to women in the Skid Row section of Los Angeles. It is based on the tenet that to successfully link the woman to treatment and to help her reduce HIV risk behaviors, the program must meet the woman in terms of her readiness to make such changes. The online CyberTour for this program shows (1) how street outreach using indigenous community leaders is used to identify women at risk; (2) how the treatment readiness intervention helps move the woman along a continuum and increase her readiness to seek substance abuse treatment and other needed health and social support services; (3) what kinds of interventions are provided by the program to meet the women’s multiple needs; (4) how successful this model is at linking women to needed care; and (5) what behavior change can be demonstrated at 6- and 12-month follow-ups with the women. Historical data are available from more than 10,000 women who have received outreach over the past 10 years in this community and data will be used to illustrate the changing and increasing needs of this vulnerable population.

Learning Objectives:

2. Identify key elements of community outreach to women at risk.
4. Identify ways to disseminate program and evaluation resources on the Internet.
6. Recognize how to access this online CyberTour on the Internet.

Keywords: Substance Abuse Treatment, Internet

Related Web page: www.themeasurementgroup.com/pwsrc.htm

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.