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California Prevention & Education Project (CAL-PEP).
1504 Franklin Street, Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 874-7850 (Phone)
(510) 839-6775 (Fax)

CAL-PEP is a community-based organization that is dedicated to providing HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, mental health, employment, and violence prevention services to highest needed communities of color in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Curbing HIV/AIDS Transmission among High Risk Minority Youth and Adolescents by Utilizing a Peer-to-Peer Outreach Model and New Application Technologies
$247,874
Gloria Lockett
(510) 874-7850
glocktheone@aol.com

Abstract

This project will develop and implement a culturally and developmentally-appropriate, peer-based intervention aimed at reducing the rate and incidence of new HIV infections among high-risk youth ages 16 to 24 in Alameda County, California. As of December 31, 2005, nearly one out of every four people in the county living with AIDS was a women, infant, child or young person. This project will enhance the scope and quality of HIV prevention services available to meet the needs of high-risk young people of color in alternative education settings, the juvenile detention system, court-ordered care, foster care and group homes. Specific activities include expanding regional youth HIV prevention services via partnership with local youth and health services organizations, conducting social network and venue-based outreach to involve youth in HIV testing and prevention activities, providing mobile and site-based rapid HIV testing along with HIV-specific education presentations and follow-up viral load testing for extreme high risk youth, providing case management services and using integrated network of web-based communications to share HIV/AIDS information among youth. Process evaluation will be conducted to monitor the progress of the project, such as the number and characteristics of participants in different kinds of program activities, the number of HIV positive young people, and the number of partners. Focus groups, web-based tracking, and field-based logs will be used to capture the achievement of intended outcomes, including expanded HIV testing and prevention services, HIV/AIDS behavior change among youth, and improved attitudes toward healthy lifestyles.

OMH objective(s) towards which the project's results most contribute:

• Increased awareness, education, & outreach to address racial/ethnic minority health & health disparities problems