Adaptation of the Effective Behavioral Intervention (EBI) Mpowerment for rural Latino farmworkers and migrant workers

Latinos in rural settings are a traditionally hard population to reach with regard to public health programs and services due to several factors including, their work schedules, their migration patterns, a lack of Spanish-language materials, their fear and mistrust of the health care system due to possible undocumented status, and limited community resources. Exceptionally hard to reach with HIV/STI prevention programs are young Latino men that have sex with men (MSM). Interventions exploring sexual health in this community are a further challenge because of stigma surrounding sexuality and HIV, conservative religious views, and strong ties to conservative families. Mpoderoso, an adaptation of the CDC EBI Mpowerment intervention, has been successfully adapted and implemented in Vista, California for rural Latino MSM while maintaining all core elements. This workshop describes the process of adapting the Mpowerment EBI, highlights considerations that need to be taken in order to effectively work with young Latino migrant MSM, and provides recommendations for similar adaptations of other EBIs for this target population. The presenter will discuss the obstacles that arose while implementing the Mpowerment model for rural Latinos, and also the avenues taken to overcome these obstacles. Examples of the adaptation, activities, promotional marketing materials, and program materials such as Spanish translated surveys will also be supplied.