142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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Promoting positive health outcomes among justice-involved individuals through timely care coordination: Evidence from the HIV/AIDS Health Improvement for Re-Entering Ex-Offenders (HIRE) initiative

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Tuesday, November 18, 2014 : 1:00 PM - 1:15 PM

Lacreisha Ejike-King, PhD, MS , Office of Minority Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, MD
Rashida Dorsey, PhD, MPH , Office of Minority Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, MD
Sonsiere Cobb-Souza , Office of Minority Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, MD
Issue: Reentry poses a difficult period of social readjustment for ex-offenders oftentimes complicated by lingering physical and mental health conditions, in particular for racial/ethnic minorities. Consequently, reentrants are often disconnected from the healthcare system. The HIV/AIDS Health Improvement for Re-Entering Ex-Offenders (HIRE) initiative links reentrants with community-based, minority-serving organizations providing comprehensive HIV/AIDS-related services and transition assistance.

Description: This presentation provides evidence of timely, coordinated health care promoting positive health outcomes among racial/ethnic minority reentrants with and at risk of HIV/AIDS from evaluation of the HIRE program.

Findings: Three HIRE programs with strong intervention effectiveness evidence were included in the analysis. All three programs capitalized on early health intervention opportunities and actively engaged corrections personnel pre-release and post-release to promote healthy outcomes. Extensive discharge planning consisting of health needs assessment and referrals to appropriate services was commonly conducted pre-release. The programs effectively eliminated gaps in receipt of healthcare and support services for HIV-positive individuals and those at risk of infection, and improved care coordination.

The three programs present significant outcomes related to disease prevention knowledge and behavior, effective health care continuity, and successful disease management. Health education interventions led to decreased risky behaviors of program participants. Improved CD4 counts and viral loads data indicated successful health services linkages and disease maintenance.

Conclusion: The Affordable Care Act (ACA) provides new opportunities to address health disparities experienced by ex-offenders. HIRE exemplifies effective care coordination practices that may prove useful in ACA enrollment and outreach as well as service utilization among reentrants.

Learning Areas:

Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs

Learning Objectives:
Describe pre-release and post-release care coordination strategies to promote positive health outcomes among racial/ethnic minority prison reentrants. List indicators of improved health status among prison reentrants

Keyword(s): HIV/AIDS, Health Care Delivery

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Dr. Ejike King serves as subject matter expert on reentry policy and policy evaluation at the HHS Office of Minority Health. She has published in this areas and developed presentations.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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