Culturally Appropriate Interventions of Outreach, Access and Retention among Latino/a Populations Initiative: Intervention Monographs

Clinica Bienestar Philadelphia intervention is designed to increase engagement in each step of the HIV continuum of care (i.e., from HIV testing to HIV viral suppression) among HIV positive injection drug users with moderate to severe substance use disorders, of Puerto Rican ancestry.

Demonstration site: Philadelphia FIGHT, Philadelphia, PA

This intervention's goal is to increase the number of Mexican MSM/TW who are aware of their HIV status using enhanced venue-based testing, partnering with health care settings traditionally accessed by the population (urgent care centers, community clinics), and targeting media advertising and a statewide education campaign for providers.

Demonstration site: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC

The overarching goal of Fuerza Positiva is to significantly improve the health outcomes of HIV-positive MSM of Mexican origin. Using culturally appropriate strategies, the intervention incorporates the following methodologies: (1) Identification, Recruitment, and Engagement; (2) Linkage and Retention, which is achieved through integrating strength-based case management and patient navigation, and (3) Social Support provided through Hermanos, a group-level intervention comprised of five sessions.

Demonstration site: AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA), Los Angeles, CA

LINK II (Leaders in Networking and Knowledge) project utilizes three strategies to effectively identify and serve Puerto Rican MSM in New York City. LINK II employs a social networking strategy to enlist HIV-positive recruiters from the Puerto Rican MSM community to recruit their network associates for HIV tests.

Demonstration Site: Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC), New York, NY

This intervention engaged the growing at risk Mexican population in the Chicago EMA by recognizing the unique needs of its multiple subpopulations (women, heterosexual men, heterosexual men who engage in sex with men, but do not identify as gay or bisexual, gay men, and bisexual men and women). The intervention fostered early identification and linkage and also decreased individual and community HIV-related stigma by making HIV testing a routine practice through social marketing, community education, and community provider technical assistance.

Demonstration Site: The Ruth M. Rothstein CORE Center, Chicago, IL

This program is designed to respond to the specific needs of MSM of Mexican descent living with HIV and incorporates cultural values and norms (e.g., caballerismo, personalismo, familismo) of relevance to this community. It also addresses potential barriers (e.g., machismo, HIV stigma) to identifying, engaging and retaining MSM of Mexican descent in HIV medical care.

Demonstration Site: Bienestar Human Services, Los Angeles, CA

Salud y Orgullo Mexicano (SOM), which means “Mexican health and pride,” was developed to identify men of Mexican descent who are HIV positive and then engage and retain them in HIV primary care.

Demonstration Site: AIDS Foundation of Chicago, Chicago, IL

The Viviendo Valiente project developed, implemented, and refined a Mexican Latinocentric model to engender trust and acceptance between Mexicans who are HIV positive or at-risk for HIV and service providers, in order to improve acceptance of HIV testing and treatment.

Demonstration Site: Prism Health North Texas, Dallas, TX

CHS's intervention has three components: 1) Latino cultural awareness and sensitivity training to clinicians working in NYC jails and community providers affiliated with Bronx Health and Housing Consortium, 2) tailored HIV counseling for those of Puerto Rican descent at risk of HIV, with an emphasis on testing for those who have never been tested, and 3) culturally-sensitive referrals to community-based care for those living with HIV who are released from a NYC jail.

Demonstration Site: New York City (NYC) Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) Correctional Health Services (CHS)