http://www.workingfortogetherness.org
The Chicago Area Priority Access (CAPA) Project at Working For Togetherness aims to decrease barriers within the HIV/AIDS healthcare delivery system for young African American MSM (YAAMSM) and increase integration of services for these young men. The three primary goals of the CAPA Project are to: 1) conduct outreach to deliver HIV

prevention messages and increase early detection of seropositive YAAMSM; 2) develop an integrated, adolescent-specific continuum of care network for seropositive YAAMSM; and 3) create and operate a Youth Empowerment Center to increase youth self-efficacy to enter and remain in culturally- and developmentally-appropriate HIV primary care.

Project activities include maintaining and enhancing the CAPA Project Continuum of Care, housing and implementing preventive interventions for HIV-positive YAAMSM in the Youth Empowerment Center, performing local and multi-site evaluation activities, and disseminating project information and evaluation findings at local and national conferences.

The CAPA Project evaluation is assessing the effectiveness of “Mobile Tech” outreach in helping YAAMSM receive HIV prevention services, learn their HIV status, and access medical care. The project will also adapt a CDC – Effective Behavioral Intervention to determine effectiveness in reducing HIV risk behaviors among these youth. The completed evaluation is expected to deliver a protocol to replicate Mobile Tech outreach, provide research evidence on the effectiveness of CDC-EBI for YAAMSM, and offer a Collaborative Continuum for Care Model for community-based organizations and healthcare providers to link HIV-positive youth to care.
[click here to see Site Presentation given at January 2005 Grantee Meeting]

Intervention

• Innovative mobile vans, bar outreach, peer-led discussions, social events, social marketing, condom dissemination 
• Mpowerment strategies, as well as case finding of HIV+ YMSM will be conducted using a van, multimedia street, and indigenous leader community outreach; condom use and safer sex education will be emphasized 
• Traditional and rapid non-clinical CTR 
• Immediate enrollment into care at local clinics and physicians 
• Linking to the local health department for partner CTR 
• Individualized and group prevention and risk reduction activities at a community center 
• Outreach upon referral from RWCA providers to locate HIV+ lost to care 
• Community outreach and performance groups for HIV+  

Outputs 

• 200 HIV+ will receive messages via outreach 
• Ten to fifteen YMSM recruited as indigenous leaders 
• All newly-identified HIV+ given immediate access to care  

Short Term Outcomes

• Increase YMSM who receive HIV information, use CTR, and are knowledgeable about personal serostatus
• Increase the number of HIV+ who receive medical treatment and stay in care -Improve ability to plan for prolonged life

Long Term Outcomes 

• Reduction in HIV infection 
• Improvement in physical and mental health of HIV+ 
• Improvement in quality of life for HIV+ 
• Reduction in stigma associated with HIV 
• Enhanced support for HIV+ individuals  

Proposed Local Evaluation Strategy 

• Street outreach to recruit two groups: YCMSM between 13 to 18 and 19 to 24 years of age; n=200 
• Intervention group: individuals recruited and consenting to participate in targeted outreach and additional programs 
• Control group: those individuals not accepting services, but who agree to have follow-up 
• Baseline, six, and twelve-month follow-up 
• Client’s files to be used and street outreach encounters tracked as process data