Addressing HIV Testing, Prevention, Care and Support Service Referral Needs in California

Addressing HIV Testing, Prevention, Care and Support

Service Referral Needs in California

Dennis Fleming Intervention Specialist

California Department of Public Health Office of AIDS

National HIV/AIDS Strategy • Instructs “health departments to

provide…local information on where to access care and support services… (and that they be) disseminated online.”

• Limited resources encourage collaborating

with and sharing already developed resources across funding streams

Service Referral Line • OA lost all state funding for testing, prevention,

care and support services in 2009 • As part of re-prioritization, brought telephone

hotline in-house • Leveraged CDC and NPIN resources • Established Referral Line

– Telephone line with live operators – Live chat – Website

The one comprehensive and easy to use website needed to find California HIV Testing, Prevention, Care & Treatment,

and Support Services in your area.

Easy to remember URL:

www.HIVServicesCA.com

Service Referral Line • Staff member answers calls and chats

during business hours • Line redirects callers to 24 hour crisis line

after hours • Callers seeking information (vs. referrals)

are referred to HIV/AIDS resources and services such as HIV testing, prevention, care and treatment and support services in their area

#1 Service Request HIV Prevention Services

Care & Treatment Services

Service Categories for

Care & Treatment

Support Services

Service Categories for HIV Support

Additional Resources

Six Month Evaluation

• 4568 calls were received (>750 per month) • Of these, 13% requested information in

Spanish • 2439 (53%) selected an option provided

on the recording – General HIV/AIDS information – STD services – Emotional support services – Operator assistance

– Of these, 14% requested operator assistance

Calls to the Hotline

– 47% General HIV information – 26% Service referral assistance – 17% Emotional support services – 10% STD testing services – ½ male, ½ female

• 87% of living cases in CA are in men

Location of Calls to Operators

• 48% Los Angeles and San Francisco areas – 55% of living cases are in these areas

• 32% High HIV/AIDS prevalence counties – 39% of living cases are in these areas

• 19% Other counties • 1% Outside California

Referrals Made by Operators • 34% HIV testing sites • 20% Exposure risk/test accuracy questions • 11% Other • 9% Insurance • 6% HIV prevention services • 6% Care and treatment • 2% ADAP specific • 2% PEP

Chats

• Approximately 159 over 5 months (32 / month)

• 52% LA, SF and other high prevalence counties – 94% of living cases are in these areas

• 28% Other CA counties • 20% Outside CA (including international)

• Main interaction difference from calls: – 41% Exposure risk/test accuracy questions from Chats

vs. – 20% Exposure risk/test accuracy questions from Calls

Referrals Made by Operators

Website

• 9340 hits to the website over 5 months – 2701 searches for services

• 65% outside California • 24% LA, SF, and high HIV/AIDS

prevalence counties

Conclusion

• By utilizing existing information resources – Comprehensive service referral system can

be established – Provide service referral without overwhelming

staff – 14,000 contacts over 6 months

Improvements • Created service categories not covered in

NPIN (PEP, acute HIV diagnosis, benefits counseling)

• Increases in marketing to: – Health departments – Providers – Consumers – Advocacy groups

How can you help? • Refer people to the service • Refer contractors to update (or sign up)

listings • Add organizations to it yourself via update

form available on the OA website • Visit us by chat or call!

Acknowledgements

We would like to formally thank the Centers for Disease Control for partnering with the California Office of AIDS in developing this

resource for Californians

Questions/Contacts Daniel Coronado

Daniel.Coronado@cdph.ca.gov

Dennis Fleming Dennis.Fleming@cdph.ca.gov F.E. Harrison (CDC) ckv3@cdc.gov