Employment/Internship Opportunities
Linkage and Integration of HIV Testing, Prevention and Care Services
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Background
Of the 850,000 to 950,000 HIV infected individuals the USA, Approximately one fourth are unaware of their infection, and approximately one third of those who are aware of thier infection status are not in ongoing HIV clinical care. The Forum For Collaborative HIV Research in collaboration with the Centers for DIsease Control (Atlanta, USA) and the Helalth Resources Services Administration (HRSA, USA) sponsored a workshop to discuss how to better link HIV Ccounseling, testing, and referral services (CTRs) to HIV care and social service programs. The "forum" for this discussion included key representatives from both agencies at the federal levels, leaders from grantee organizations and key informants from public and private organizations involved in HIV service delivery.
The Workshop started with an updated of the status of the epidemiology of HIV infections, prevention and care in the USA, and presentations of how prevention can be integrated into the clinical setting, and how service networks can be created. Panelists addressed organizational and systems issues, social needs and co-occuring health needs cultural and regional issues and evaluation of links and referrals. Small breakout groups identified links and points of entry into care, barriers to linking HIV CTRs, prevention and care services, and developed recommendations to reduce barriers at the Federal, State program, and community based service provider leveland recommendations for evaluation.
Background reviews and documents were prepared for the workshop participants. These include:
- Linking of Testing, Prevention and Care (a review written by Helen Schietinger on behalf of the Forum)
- Referrals and Linkages in HIV Counseling, Testing, and Referral and Partner Counseling and Referral Referral Services: An Annotated Literature Review (prepared by ORC Macro under contract to CDC)
- Targeted Testing and Referral Efforts: A Report of the NASTAD Status Project (Executive Summary)
- Best Practices in Prevention Services for Persons Living with HIV (CDC, DHAP, Marlene Glassman)
- Lessons Learned: Innovations in the Delivery of HIV/AIDS Services (HRSA, HIV/AIDS Bureau, available at: http://www.hab.hrsa.gov)
The Report of this meeting is available in several formats. Firstly, we published the complete workshop report with all appendices (including the background documents above). For easier downloading, we are also making this available in two separate parts: the main report excluding the appendices, and the appendices only. The Summary Report outlines the main features and findings of this workshop. Finally, the background paper "by Helen Schietingeris available as a simple document.
We hope that the readers will find this reort stimulating and useful. If this report has aided readers in specific ways, we would appreciate hearing about it. Please send your comments to info@hivforum.org.
Forum for Collaborative HIV Research
Department of Prevention and Community Health
School of Public Health and Health Services2175 K St NW Ste 700
Washington, DC 20037
Phone: 202 530-2370
Fax: 202 530-3923
info@hivforum.org