Our hospital-based adherence program utilizes peer support as a crucial component for promoting ART adherence in a hard to reach urban HIV population. Peer workers (PWs) must be adherent to ART and from the same community as clients. Potential PWs are recruited through physician referrals, advertisements with local community based organizations, and recommendations from other PWs. PW trainees complete a six-week intensive training course. Topics include HIV 101, prevention of opportunistic infections, ART medications, nutrition, clinical trial overview, adherence, and HIV advocacy. Past graduates of training have participated in sessions addressing the role of the peer. PWs receive training on counseling techniques including methods useful for the mentally ill and substance users. Cultural factors that may affect adherence and the patient/provider relationship are discussed. Barriers to adherence specific to our urban population, such as inadequate food and shelter, are also addressed. Once employed by our adherence program, PWs are taught to share life experiences and successes in dealing with their own obstacles to ART in an effort to assist those of the same hard to reach population. This program has trained a total of thirty-five PWs, and 13 have been selected to work in peer programs: 7 as PWs with our adherence program, 5 as outreach workers within other programs at the same institution, and 1 as a case manager with our adherence program. Feedback from PWs is used to provide additional training in a series of on-going workshops designed to assist PWs in improving their interaction and support skills.
Learning Objectives: To describe an innovative approach for training community health workers to promote antiretroviral therapy adherence in urban communities
Keywords: Training, HIV/AIDS
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Harlem Hospital Center-
Harlem Adherence to Treatment Study
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: Employment