Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #118014

Uyen H. Kao, MPH¹, Rosemary C. Veniegas, PhD¹, Rise B. Goldstein, PhD¹, Xiaowei Yang, PhD², and Steven Shoptaw, PhD³. (1) Center for HIV Identification, Prevention, and Treatment Services, University of California, Los Angeles, 11075 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 200, Los Angeles, CA 90025, 310-312-0500, 377, ubui@mednet.ucla.edu, (2) Integrated Substance Abuse Programs, University of California, Los Angeles, 11075 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 200, Los Angeles, CA 90025, (3) Friends Research Institute, UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs, 11075 Santa Monica Blvd., Ste. 225, Los Angeles, CA 90025

Issues: Often clients who are in need of HIV prevention services are also in need of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), tuberculosis (TB), and substance abuse services due to their high rate of co-occurrence. Hence organizations must work collaboratively to ensure that clients receive the full range of services. Description: To address this issue, four agencies were funded to develop a network of HIV, STDs, TB, and substance abuse service providers in their respective regions of Los Angeles County. Data were collected from network partner agencies using a 40-item self-administered survey. Domains included geographic area served, staffing, prevention services provided, types of referrals made, types of referrals received, stakeholder representation in the network, frequency of exchange of client information, types of linkages, client follow-up procedures, and satisfaction with participation in the network. Using network analytic techniques, we measured the centrality of each agency and examined their relationships to other agencies within and across the network. Particular attention to organizational characteristics and pattern of referrals will be made in interpreting these interorganizational relationships. Lessons Learned: Primary lessons learned were that building community network of prevention services required formalized, active collaborations among partner agencies and that data collection for services coordination required substantial resources within and across network. Recommendations: Both findings and lessons learned will be shared with local stakeholders such as health department staff, service providers, and community members to explore strategies for enhancing service integration and to address issues of network sustainability.

Learning Objectives:

• (1) To increase participants’ knowledge about the organizational characteristics that may influence service coordination
• (2) To develop skills in network analysis to better understand interorganizational relationships
• (3) To identify factors that hinder and or facilitate service integration

Keywords: Network Analysis, Service Integration

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.