HIV/AIDS Substance Abuse Prevention
For African American Women Project

In the fall of 2001, the Center for substance Abuse Prevention and Danny K. Davis, Congressional Representative (7th District Ill.), announced a grant award to the Prevention Partnership, Inc. for community based prevention education. The three-year grant will provide the organization funding to implement its substance abuse and HIV/AIDS prevention program targeting African American women and their partners (ages 19-44) on the West and South Sides Chicago. Citywide and Regional planning data from Chicago’s HIV Strategic Plan and epidemiological data shows us that drug use accounts for 59% of infections among black women. It is clear that drug use fuels the epidemic in Chicago’s Black communities and our decision to target this population comes from this data and over 14 years of our own experience in implementing ATOD and HIV/AIDS prevention programming.

The goal of this project will be to promote healthy lifestyles and asset building that will reduce negative behaviors that lead to HIV infection associated with substance abuse and unsafe sexual activity. The objective is to directly impact 15,000 neighborhood residents by utilizing 3 standardized Department of Human Services Health Education and Risk Reduction (HERR) interventions by the end of the 36 month project period. These interventions include:

Peer Education — During the first approach of the project a cadre of 30 African American women will be recruited directly from the target population. These peer educators will complete over 48 hours of Prevention Partnership HIV/AIDS and Substance Abuse Leadership training and will implement Small Group Education and Community Outreach Interventions that will impact 6,200 additional high risk women each year. An additional 30,000 community residents will be indirectly impacted through community media campaigns monthly.

The second approach will be a search conference, a Community Level Intervention, that will use an organizational development large group planning process, resulting in a three year HIV/Substance Abuse Prevention Plan. This will be implemented in the second and third years of the project. Data will also be abstracted into reports and submitted to the Chicago Department of Health, Chicago’s HIV Prevention Planning Group (HPPG) and the West & South Side HIV Regional Planning groups to assist in coordinating their strategic efforts as well.

Peer educators will be recruited directly from local community organizations that serve the target populations. Prevention Partnership will provide the peers education, training and technical assistance in developing action plans for all HERR interventions. Peer educators will also facilitate the search conference. Dr. Arthur Lurigio, Ph.D., Chairman/Professor, of Loyola University Chicago, Department of Criminal Justice will oversee the evaluation of both process and outcomes. Finally, this project is consistent with Healthy People 2000 and 2010 and this effort will document impact and cost-effectiveness of various strategies in relationship to health concerns of women of color and the communities in which they live.

Funded By The US Department of Health and Human Services
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Center For Substance Abuse Prevention