Assessing Immediate Outcomes of HIV Prevention Testing and Counseling Training

HIV Early Intervention Services Program

Stephanie Beane, M.Ed., SEATECMarie Sutton, CEO Imagine HopeShenee Reid, MPH, MPA, SEATEC

August 16, 2011

Division of Addictive Diseases

Why Test?

Testing High Risk Populations

• To identify positives and reduce HIV transmission among high risk populations, the CDC recommends integration of substance abuse treatment and HIV testing and prevention.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2002. HIV in the United States. Retrieved February 8, 2011 from

http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources/factsheets/idu.htm

HIV Early Intervention Services

• HIV Early Intervention Services (EIS) is a program of Georgia's Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities / Division of Addictive Diseases.

• Over 100 EIS counselors and nurses serve clients in substance use treatment sites throughout Georgia.

• Imagine Hope manages the program on behalf of the Division, and customized the curriculum to meet the specific needs of EIS workers.

Division of Addictive Diseases

Testing• From July 2010 - June 2011, Georgia's EIS workers

conducted 9,000 HIV tests - primarily amongst substance use clients.

• 95% of those tested received results.

• 100% of those diagnosed HIV-positive received their results.

Division of Addictive Diseases

3 Pronged Strategy

Client Centered Education

Prevention

Testing

Training and Evaluation Collaboration

• The HIV Prevention Counseling and Testing course is designed to prepare EIS workers to provide clients with HIV prevention counseling and testing.

• Imagine Hope (on behalf of the Georgia DBHDD/Division of Addictive Diseases) produces the training in collaboration with SEATEC.

• SEATEC, using an Audience Response System, provides evaluation in the form of immediate feedback during each module.

Division of Addictive Diseases

Participants and Duration

Trainees

• EIS Counselors• Nurses• Social workers

Trainer

• Licensed psychologist• Specializing in testing counseling

Duration• Two-day workshop

Training Description

• CDC client-centered prevention counseling• Pre- and post-test counseling strategies• Harm reduction techniques• OraSure testing

Topics

• Didactic presentation • Role play• Skills building activities• OraSure testing demonstration

Modalities

Training Success!!

Evaluation Method• During two 2-day workshops pre and post-test data were

collected from 35 training participants using a 22 item instrument administered via Audience Response System (ARS).

Instrument Constructs

Client centered

counseling

HIV transmission routes and prevention

Testing and result

interpretation

Evaluation Results: Average % of Correct Responses

67%

85%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Pre-Test Post-Test

18% Increase

Post-test scores (M=18.8, SD=.259) were significantly higher than pre-test scores (M=14.8, SD=.388), t(34) = 10.461, p<.01, d=1.53.

Evaluation Results: Follow-Up Survey

85% agree that patient/client education skills improved. (15% neither agree or disagree)

Conclusions

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2003. HIV in the United States. Retrieved February , 2011 from http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5215a1.htm

EIS workers gained knowledge and skills necessary to provide prevention counseling and testing to clients.

Advancing the CDC’s call for increasing HIV prevention by testing in untraditional settings.