AFC Selected to Coordinate Early Intervention Study

In early 2002, the AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) will begin coordinating a pilot early intervention program designed to connect at-risk individuals with HIV testing, counseling, and primary care services. The project, called ACT4LIFE, is being funded by GlaxoSmithKline and is based on a successful outreach project in south central Los Angeles. AFC, along with Roseland Community Hospital, are the only agencies in Chicago selected by GlaxoSmithKline to participate in the nationwide study.

The ACT4LIFE program was developed to reach individuals who are either unaware that they are HIV-positive or are aware of their status but not receiving regular care. The CDC estimates that one-third of the population knows their status and receives medical care, one-third knows their status and does not receive medical care, and the last third is not aware of their HIV-positive status.

ACT4LIFE utilizes a peer-to-peer approach, which is based on the idea that individuals share similar behaviors with their friends and acquaintances. Under this model, it is likely that HIV-positive individuals associate with others who may also have HIV or are at risk for the disease. In order to reach this at-risk population, the program will enlist HIV-positive clients of case management services to act as outreach workers, or "recruiters," by encouraging friends, family, and acquaintances to get tested for HIV and to enroll in primary care. Client "recruiters" provide friends with comfort and advice— support that is especially meaningful because it comes from a trusted source who has gone through a similar experience. ACT4LIFE's success is based on the fact that it reaches at-risk individuals where they are, with people just like them, by creating a comfort level that motivates individuals to access healthcare. According to Dr. Wilbert C. Jordan, who pioneered the study at the OASIS Clinic in Los Angeles, 95% of the people who tested HIV-positive at his clinic entered treatment because of the support they received from peers who were also going through treatment.

AFC is in the process of identifying two to three agencies throughout the metropolitan area that will take part in the pilot study. Agencies will provide program participants with HIV testing and counseling services, as well as linkages to care and treatment options. They will also offer HIV treatment education and adherence workshops, one-to-one harm reduction counseling, case management, and referrals to peripheral services necessary for the management of HIV.

Once chosen, AFC and the partner agencies will train case managers to identify which individuals in their caseload would make successful recruiters. In turn, recruiters will receive training on methods for approaching friends about getting tested, how to educate peers on the role of primary care, and ways recruiters can serve as mentors to those going through testing and treatment. Recruiters and the individuals they sign onto the study will receive a small incentive, such as a movie pass, medic alert jewelry, or food voucher for taking part in testing, counseling, and treatment activities.

AFC and GlaxoSmithKline will monitor program success by tracking data regarding recruitment, testing, and treatment figures. Greater than 8 of 10 people who came into Dr. Jordan's clinic at the encouragement of their peers received their first HIV test. For more information on ACT4LIFE, visit www.thepositivesource.com.

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