Scott Geron, Eustache Jean-Louis, & Nicole Cesar

Funded by a three-year grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration, Special Projects of National Significance, this study is a process and outcome evaluation of a prevention and counseling program for Haitians with HIV living in the Boston area. The Psycho-Educational Curriculum of the Center for Community Health, Education and Research, Inc. (CCHER) is an innovative, flexible program designed to assist Haitian-Americans with HIV/AIDS to understand, explore and act upon the psycho-social challenges particular to this illness and immigrant group. In this program, participants meet individually with Haitian counselors to discuss 25 topics which in such areas as sexuality, concepts of disease and illness, treatment compliance, stages of disease, and planning for the future. The counseling sessions are proceeded and followed by an assessment which covers such areas as clients' social functioning, service needs and barriers, health status, knowledge of HIV/AIDS, and behaviors which increase the risk of infection. Clients receive a stipend of $125 for completing the program. The process evaluation is assessing the design and implementation of the program, and its integration into an intensive case management program also provided to agency clients. The outcome analysis will employ hierarchical linear models (HLM) to estimate the demographic and program factors, including the impact of the enhanced model, on service use, compliance, client satisfaction and other selected outcomes.

In this session, detailed information on CCHER and its case management and prevention and counseling program will be made available. Preliminary findings from the evaluation of the Psycho-Educational Curriculum will also be presented. Participants will be encouraged to exchange ideas about case management models with language and ethnic minorities, explore similarities and differences between case management programs serving elderly and non-elderly populations, and discuss social work practice implications.

To view the CCHER Project Abstract, click here.