Preliminary data are presented regarding an organizational linkage model for delivering substance abuse treatment to female street-based sex workers in New York City. FROST’D (From Our Streets with Dignity) is a well-established community-based organization which provides outreach services (including referrals for substance abuse treatment) to sex workers. These services are delivered from a mobile unit which parks in areas where these women congregate. The study is experimentally enhancing this outreach modality by establishing a separate mobile unit from which Project Return, a large substance abuse treatment organization with many specialized services for women, will provide front-line counseling for substance abuse with the aim of linking clients to appropriately matched longer-term treatment within Project Return’s established array of programs. The alliance between FROST’D and Project Return includes NDRI to administer/coordinate the overall project and design/conduct the evaluative research. Beginning in January of 2000, sex workers will be randomly assigned to FROST’D’s standard outreach services or to the enhanced services associated with the treatment linkage model. The primary outcome variables are participation in substance abuse treatment and reduction in substance use. Preliminary data will be presented regarding issues in implementing the field experiment and levels of substance abuse and HIV-risk behavior. This research was supported by Grant: KD1 TI 12049-10-1 from CSAT
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the attendee will be able to: 1) Recognize the benefits of delivering mobile outreach services to drug-dependent female sex workers. 2) Describe an organization linkage model for delivering substance abuse treatment to female sex workers. 3) Identify components that enhance or impede the implementation of a mobile front-line drug counseling field experiment
Keywords: Sex Workers, Substance Abuse Treatment
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: FROST'D
Project Return
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.