HIV/AIDS Warriors Program

Investigators: Eric G. Bing, MD, Daniel J. Ortiz, PhD, Ricardo E. Ovalle-Bahamn, C. Phil., Karen G. Cheng, PhD, Francisco Ernesto, MD, & Cherrie B. Boyer, PhD

The HIV/AIDS Warriors Program aims to enhance HIV risk reduction knowledge, motivation, and behaviors among soldiers or other at-risk populations. The program is composed of five, 4-hour sessions delivered on consecutive days to groups of soldiers by civilian facilitators. Optional monthly booster sessions last 1-hour and reinforce the information provided by the initial program and give participants an opportunity to discuss their experiences related to the program. Program participants significantly increased their HIV/AIDS knowledge, perceived vulnerability to HIV, and condom use. Program participants also engaged in fewer unprotected sex acts with girlfriends, occasional partners, and sex workers; reduced the number of unprotected anal sex acts with live-in partners; and reduced the overall number of occasional partners and sex workers. The HIV/AIDS Warriors Program was originally designed for and implemented with soldiers in the Angolan Armed Forces. The HIV prevention messages presented in the curriculum are applicable to other non-military populations at risk of acquiring and transmitting STIs/HIV. Click here to view more detailed information on this program.

HORIZONS: STI/HIV Sexual Risk Reduction Intervention for African American Girls

Investigators: Ralph J. DiClemente, Gina M. Wingood, Eve S. Rose, Jessica M Sales, Delia L. Lang, Angela M. Calienda, James W. Hardin & Richard A. Crosby

HORIZONS, a two-session STI-prevention program developed for small groups of sexually-active African American adolescent girls, was developed to address a broad range of risk factors, including personal, relational, sociocultural, and structural factors. The overall goals of the program are to reduce recurrent STIs and enhance STI/HIV preventive behaviors. The workshops are interactive, involving the participants in games, role playing, poetry readings, condom skills practice, and self-reflection activities. HORIZONS was evaluated with a randomized control trial that included two conditions (control and intervention). Data was collected from the subjects at baseline, 6-months and 12-months post-completion of the program. When the program participants were compared to their control group peers, the program participants had, on average, a 35% lower risk of having Chlamydia than the control participants (RR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.42 to 0.98; P=.04). Overall, participants in the program condition had higher self-reported condom use during sexual activity in the previous 14 days (P=.004) and 60 days (Phere to view more detailed information on this program.

Helping Your Anxious Child: Bibliotherapy for Children with Anxiety Disorders Using Written Materials for Parents

Investigators: Ronald M. Rapee, PhD, Heidi J. Lyneham, PhD, Maree J. Abbott, PhD

Helping Your Anxious Child (HYAC) is a bibliotherapy outreach program based on a group cognitive-behavioral treatment program, the Cool Kids Child and Adolescent Anxiety Management Program. HYAC uses a parent-as-therapist model to assist children between 6 and 12 years of age in learning to manage their anxiety; including phobias, generalized anxiety, separation anxiety, social anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and panic attacks. HYAC materials (book for parent and workbook for child) contain a structured course of readings and activities to help parents better understand child anxiety and teach their child to manage his or her anxiety. Children’s activities and practice tasks cover skills such as cognitive restructuring, gradual exposure, problem solving, social skills, assertiveness, and dealing with teasing. The program also covers more effective parenting strategies. Over 10-12 sessions, the parent and child work on the program in tandem over a 3 to 4 month period (some families require more time to master the skills). It is recommended that therapists monitor and assist with implementation of the program via telephone, email, or personal consultation. Click here to view more detailed information on this program.

HoMBReS: Hombres Manteniendo Bienestar y Relaciones Saludables (Men Maintaining Wellbeing and Healthy Relationships)

Investigators: Scott D. Rhodes, PhD, MPH, CHES, Kenneth C. Hergenrather, PhD, MSEd, MRC, Fred R. Bloom, PhD, Jami S. Leichliter, PhD, Jaime Montano

HoMBReS is a lay health advisor (LHA), community-based, behavioral intervention that aims to increase condom use and HIV testing among Latino men by working with sports teams. Each team selects a leader to serve as an LHA, known as a Navegante (Navigator or Health Navigator), who receives a 4-session, 16-hour training from the HoMBReS facilitator in order to become a health advisor, opinion leader, and community advocate. He may then provide his teammates with information and referrals to increase their knowledge about HIV and STI transmission, prevention, and testing, and increase their condom use skills. In addition, the Navegantes advocate positive and reframe negative sociocultural expectations about what it means to be a man, and they work toward structural changes in their communities. Click here to view more detailed information on this program.

Holistic Health Recovery Program for Injection Drug Users (HHRP)

Investigators: S. Kelly Avants, PhD, Arthur Margolin, PhD, Mary Helen Usubiaga, MD, Cheryl Doebrick, PhD

HOLISTIC HEALTH RECOVERY PROGRAM FOR INJECTION DRUG USERS is a 12-session, manual-guided, group therapy intervention delivered over six weeks. This risk reduction and health promotion intervention is appropriate for use with drug users in a substance abuse treatment program, and it was designed to specifically address the special needs of HIV-negative and status unknown injection drug users (IDUs). HHRP is based on the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills (IMB) model of HIV prevention through behavioral change and uses cognitive remediation components to facilitate learning and retention of IMB treatment components. The primary goals of this intervention are harm reduction, health promotion, and improved quality of life. More specific objectives include abstinence from illicit drug use or from sexual risk behaviors, reduced drug use, reduced risk of HIV infection, and improved medical, psychological, and social functioning. The HHRP program includes session topics such as: reaching your goals; health care participation; reducing the harm of injection drug use; harm reduction with latex; negotiating harm reduction with partners; preventing relapse to risky behavior; healthy lifestyle choices; introduction to the 12-steps; overcoming stigma; motivation for change; emotional and spiritual healing; and healthy social relationships and activities. Click here to view more detailed information on this program.

Holistic Health Recovery Program for Injection Drug Users Living with HIV (HHRP+)

Investigators: S. Kelly Avants, PhD, Arthur Margolin, PhD, Lara A. Warburton, PhD, Keith A. Hawkins, PsyD, Julia Shi, MD

HOLISTIC HEALTH RECOVERY PROGRAM FOR INJECTION DRUG USERS LIVING WITH HIV is a 12-session, manual-guided, group therapy intervention delivered over six weeks. This risk reduction and health promotion intervention is appropriate for use with drug users in a substance abuse treatment program, and it was designed to specifically address the special needs of HIV-positive injection drug users (IDUs). HHRP+ is based on the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills (IMB) model of HIV prevention through behavioral change and uses cognitive remediation components to facilitate learning and retention of IMB treatment components. The primary goals of this intervention are harm reduction, health promotion, and improved quality of life. More specific objectives include abstinence from illicit drug use or from sexual risk behaviors, reduced risk for HIV transmission, reduced drug use, and improved medical, psychological, and social functioning. The HHRP+ program includes session topics such as: reaching your goals; health care participation; reducing the harm of injection drug use; harm reduction with latex; negotiating harm reduction with partners; preventing relapse to risky behavior; healthy lifestyle choices; introduction to the 12-steps; overcoming stigma; motivation for change; moving beyond grief; and healthy social relationships and activities. Click here to view more detailed information on this program.

Hot, Healthy, and Keeping it Up!

Investigators: Kyung-Hee Choi, Steve Lew Eric Vittinghoff, Joseph Catania, Donald Barrett & Thomas Coates

This program is a three-hour, single session, culturally appropriate intervention for use with homosexual Pacific Islander and/or Asian men. The intervention is designed to increase positive ethnic and sexual identity in order to help participants acknowledge HIV risk behaviors by discussing negative experiences of being both Asian or Pacific Islander and homosexual (e.g., lack of social support, racism, homophobia). Guided by the Health Belief Model, the theory of reasoned action, and social cognitive theory, facilitators use interactive and group process techniques to address the following four intervention components: 1) development of positive self-identity and social support; 2) safer sex education; 3) eroticizing safer sex; and 4) negotiating safer sex. Of the 258 participants in the original evaluation, most were about 29 years old, Chinese, college-educated, immigrants. Most had been tested for HIV and had reported multiple partners in the three months prior to the intervention. Results of the evaluation indicate that intervention participants were significantly more knowledgeable about HIV-risk reduction, were significantly more motivated about addressing risk, had significantly fewer partners, and were significantly less likely to report unprotected anal intercourse than counterparts in the control group at three-month follow-up. (Choi et al., 1996). Click here to view more detailed information on this program.

Human Sexuality - Values & Choices: A Values-Based Curriculum for 7th and 8th Grades

Investigators: Search Institute

Developed for use in 7th and 8th grade classrooms, this program aims to reduce teenage pregnancy by promoting seven core values that support sexual abstinence and healthy social relationships: equality, self-control, promise-keeping, responsibility, respect, honesty, and social justice. The curriculum including 15 student lessons and 3 adult-only sessions is distinguished by: 1) an emphasis on parent-child communication; and 2) the use of a standardized, video-assisted format. Participants gain mastery through role plays, group discussions, and behavioral skills exercises. Following a field test in nine schools, program participants showed a greater understanding of the risks associated with early sexual involvement, and they expressed increased support for postponing sexual activity, as compared to a control group of their peers. Click here to view more detailed information on this program.

Infant Health and Development Program (IHDP): An Early Intervention Program for Low Birth Weight Premature Infants

Investigators: Craig T. Ramey, PhD, Donna M. Bryant, PhD, Joseph Sparling, PhD & Barbara H. Wasik, PhD

The Infant Health and Development Program (IHDP) was developed to enhance the cognitive, behavioral, and health status of low birth weight (LBW), premature infants. Between birth of a premature child and the age of three, program families received: 1) pediatric follow-up, 2) home visits, 3) parent support groups, and 4) a systematic educational program provided in specialized child developmental centers. The purpose of this early intervention program is to prevent later developmental problems. As such the child is the primary intervention target, although a parent (or other primary caregiver) is an essential participant in various program components. The IHDP curriculum is both center and home-based and includes activities to foster child functioning and enhance primary care giver child-rearing skills. At the end of the program, an experimental evaluation showed that IHDP had positively impacted cognitive and motor skills in participating children, particularly those from the most at-risk families and those who had been born at the "heavier" side of the low birth weight range (2001 to 2500 grams). Click here to view more detailed information on this program.

Infant Stimulation and Physical Therapy: An Early Intervention Program for Children with Spastic Diplegia

Investigators: Frederick B. Palmer, MD, Bruce K. Shapiro, MD, & Marilee C. Allen, MD

The Infant Stimulation and Physical Therapy program was developed to address both cognitive and motor developmental areas for children with mild to severe spastic diplegia, a form of cerebral palsy. This program is an early intervention program that lasts a full year and incorporates both an infant stimulation curriculum for the first six months, followed by neurodevelopmental physical therapy for the remaining six months. The Infant Stimulation and Physical Therapy program is both center and home-based. Parents (or primary caregivers) meet bi-weekly for one-hour sessions at a clinic for twelve months where they receive training in the daily home implementation of the program. During the first six months of the program, parents or primary caregivers meet with a child development therapist and receive infant stimulation training structured around checklists and specific behavioral objectives. During the second six months of the program, parents or primary caregivers meet with a physical therapist and receive physical therapy training that are also structured around checklists and specific behavioral objectives. Click here to view more detailed information on this program.