Technology Transfer and Transition of an Effective HIV Prevention with Runaway Youth

Runaway and homeless youth have a national seroprevalence rate of 2.3%, a rate about six times higher than adolescents in the major AIDS epicenters. An intervention was developed, implemented, and evaluated for 300 runaway youth in New York City. Over two years, the program demonstrated reductions in the number of unprotected sexual risk acts and substance use. The intervention effects were significantly larger for females and African American youth. Based on these positive results, the goal of this project, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), was to revise the program in order to develop an effective strategy and program for dissemination of the program to community based agencies that serve high-risk runaway youth.

A Community Advisory Board composed of representatives of the agencies serving high-risk youth in Los Angeles collaborated on revising the program and updating HIV information. The dissemination package includes a video that explains the intervention, access to ongoing consultation, and updates on implementation. Following a development process during Year 01, the revised program will be piloted in at least two community-based agencies. To evaluate the dissemination process, the theoretical expertise of the Community Advisory Board was assessed; the FORECAST strategy (the formative evaluation, consultation, and systems technique; Goodman and Wandersman, 1994) were implemented; and process evaluations of each pilot session were rated by participants, facilitators, and supervisors. The final product was marketed to the National Network of Runaway and Homeless Youth for large-scale dissemination to their 2,700 members.