Integrated Nested Services: Delaware's Experience Treating Minority Substance Abusers at Risk for HIV or HIV Positive

Abstract

Treating minority substance abusers at risk of HIV or HIV positive is a critical public health issue. Delaware has achieved success in treating this population through its integrated nested services approach. Through three Center for Substance Abuse funded projects, Delaware has synthesized a number of evidence-based and best practices from the HIV medical treatment, substance abuse treatment and mental health treatment. Evaluation findings show that Project HOPE and Meeting the Challenges are having a positive impact on clients in a number of areas, including medical compliance, physical health, sobriety, employment/income and living situations. Clearly, this approach benefits all stakeholders, including the State of Delaware, local communities, staff and clients.

KEYWORDS:

• HIV treatment
• integrated services
• substance abuse treatment
• nested services

Notes

The projects discussed in this paper are funded by the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administrations (SAMHSA) grant numbers TI-14566 (Project HOPE) and TI-15786 (MTC). The opinions expressed in the paper are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of CSAT/SAMHSA or the State of Delaware.

This project was carried out with funding from a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) grant from the Targeted Capacity Expansion Program for Substance Abuse Treatment and HIV/AIDS Services (TCE/HIV). The views and opinions contained in the publication do not necessarily reflect those of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and should not be construed as such.

Note. *This represents the number of clients interviewed at six months after admission. HOPE has a 83% follow-up rate.