SUMMARY

Designed to provide education, social and medical services and peer support to gay, lesbian and bisexual youths between 14 and 19 years of age, this program combines case management, comprehensive health care and risk assessment counseling with small group discussion sessions. During the group sessions, transmission and prevention of HIV/AIDS are investigated through workshops in which youth create their own educational materials. Participants also receive behavioral and cognitive skills training for coping with high-risk situations. The case management and counseling components are designed to identify individual needs and provide youth with appropriate services (e.g., legal, medical, vocational). A field study of the intervention was initiated with 138 males at a community-based agency serving gay youth in New York City. The impact of the program was found to vary over time and across racial/ethnic groups. African-American and white teens showed a significant decrease in unprotected anal intercourse at the three-month follow-up assessment; at six months the decrease was recorded only among whites. On measures of unprotected oral intercourse, white and Hispanic youths engaged in fewer risk acts through the twelve-month assessment; for African-Americans, the decrease was maintained only until six months following the intervention.

SUITABLE FOR USE IN

This program can be implemented in a variety of community-based and/or clinic-based programs serving youth at high risk for contracting HIV/AIDS, providing that case management and counseling services are available. This program is also suitable for implementation in residential drug treatment programs.

ORIGINAL INTERVENTION SAMPLE

Age, Gender
The original sample included 138 males, ages 14 to 19 years (avg. = 16.7).

Race/Ethnicity
51% Latino, 31% African-American, 12% White, 6% other.

PROGRAM LENGTH

The full intervention consists of 25 group sessions in addition to regular ongoing counseling and case management services. It is recommended that two to four sessions be scheduled per week, which makes the duration of the intervention 7-10 weeks. Each session should last approximately 90 to 120 minutes.

STAFFING REQUIREMENTS/TRAINING

Group sessions (with approximately 10 youths) are facilitated by two leaders, selected for their sensitivity to issues of cultural and sexual diversity. Training should include cognitive-behavioral risk reduction strategies, coping with clinical crises and group process skills. Other professionals (e.g., lawyers, vocational counselors) should be on call to provide legal counseling and other needed social services.