The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #48326

Jennifer K. Lin, MHS, Research & Evaluation, The Fortune Society, 53 W. 23rd St., 7th Fl., New York, NY 10010, 212-691-7554, x707, jlin@fortunesociety.org, Danielle R. Strauss, MPH, Prevention Unit, VIP Community Services, 1910 Arthur Avenue, 9th flr., Bronx, NY 10457, Debbie S Indyk, PhD, MS, Community and Preventive Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, 19 East 98th Street (Box 1045), New York, NY 10029, Darrell P. Wheeler, PhD, MPH, Hunter College School of Social Work, 129 E. 79th Street, Room 505, New York, NY 10021, and Heather M. Grey, MPH, Bronx AIDS Services, 25 Grove St., Suite 23, New York, NY 10014.

Outreach to underserved populations has evolved from the drive-by model of one-time pamphlet or condom distribution with no follow-up or measurement of subsequent behaviors. Our challenge is to develop outreach models that are effective, replicable and sustainable; provide staff with training and linkages through which they can reach, engage, retain and follow-up individuals who are not ready to be engaged; and share this knowledge with and learn from other service providers who, realistically, are in competition for the same limited resources. This presentation will describe the experiences of six SAMHSA/CSAT-funded, NY/NJ-based CBOs (Bronx AIDS Services, The Fortune Society, Housing Works, Project Return Foundation, Special Audiences, VIP Community Services) all working to reach underserved populations and connect individuals to health care, drug treatment, and social services in order to prevent HIV transmission. These programs have transformed outreach into a gateway to a continuum of services by meeting individuals “where they’re at;” developing innovative practices to engage and retain clients; developing and training peers as front-line staff; and using a “continuous quality improvement” approach to program improvement. As well, program and evaluation staff from all programs met regularly in a collegial, structured and theme-based setting to discuss common issues around improvement of service delivery and ways to incorporate evaluation into program design and services, thus pooling resources and sharing ideas. Through this collaboration, individual programs have enhanced services, improved assessment and data collection systems, and increased capacity to perform local evaluation and improve and report on the outcomes of their interventions.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify three examples of outreach innovations developed after initial program design that were incorporated using a continuous quality improvement approach;
• Identify three ways to improve 6-month and 12-month follow-up rates with hard-to-reach individuals;
• Identify three ways to incorporate steps integral to program evaluation into staff training and service delivery.

Keywords: Outreach Programs, Underserved Populations

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Bronx AIDS Services, The Fortune Society, Housing Works, Project Return Foundation/Women in Crisis, Special Audiences, VIP Community Services
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.