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USCA Abstract: HIV peer educators as part of the health care team

The PEER Center team will be presenting the following seminar at the US conference on AIDS, Sept. 18 – 21 in Miami Beach, FL.

Title: Building the capacity of HIV peer educators to be part of the part of the health care team

Date/Time: Session 4, Saturday, September 20, 1:45 PM – 3:45 PM

Location: Room 114, First Floor, Greater Broward County/ Fort Lauderdale Convention Center

Track: Treatment and Research

Type of presentation: Seminar, 3 hours

Presenters: A panel including representatives from CHT/World, MO Alliance, PACT Project Harlem Hospital, PEER Center

Topic: The Peer Education Training Initiative funded by the Health Resources & Service Administration (HRSA) provides training to people living with HIV/AIDS (PWLHA) from communities of color to serve as peer educators. Trained peers educators work in diverse settings to engage and retain patients in HIV care and treatment.

Three centers located in California, Missouri, and New York have developed peer training programs tailored to the assets, needs, and preferences of their individual target populations. The training sites all address key peer educator competencies including how to help people living with HIV improve their adherence to treatment and enhance their communication with health care providers.

Issues: The HIV/AIDS epidemic is growing among communities of color, yet they still face challenges to gaining access to high quality HIV care and treatment. Since 1999, HRSA has supported initiatives to train and support peer educators to assist people who are infected or at high risk for acquiring HIV to access and remain in care, through outreach, education and advocacy services.

This current initiative builds upon the evidence that peer educators have a positive influence on reducing HIV risk behaviors and facilitating entry to care and improving health outcomes for other chronic conditions. However, given the complexity of HIV treatment and the fragmentation of the HIV care system, it is essential that peers are equipped with the appropriate skills and knowledge to help their patients stay in care and adhere to treatment.

This seminar will demonstrate a training program that addresses these issues.

Learning Objectives: By the end of this panel presentation, the audience will:

  1. Describe different training methods for people living with HIV to be peer educators and help people living with HIV remain in care and adhere to treatment.
  2. Identify key competencies, successes, and challenges when designing, implementing, and sustaining a training program for HIV-infected peers.
  3. Develop ideas for evaluation of peer programs for persons living with HIV/AIDS.

Strategy/Methods: This will be an interactive session with the audience. Trainers, including a former peer advocate will demonstrate how to build peer skills on adherence to HIV treatment, peer counseling, and navigating the health care system. Peer trainees will discuss their experience and impact of participation in the session. Training developers will reflect on the successes and challenges encountered in their training programs and their strategies for sustaining the program in their areas. The panel will conclude with a presentation of methodology and results from a multisite evaluation exploring the impact of the peer training on participant’s knowledge and skills.

Details

Session 4, Saturday September 20th 1:45-3:45 pm in room 114 (first floor), Greater Broward County/Fort Lauderdale Convention Center