This multi-faceted evaluation project, funded by the Centers for Disease Control through the Texas Department of State Health Services, involves several components:
1) A needs assessment survey of state, regional, and local health department HIV and STD Program Managers in Federal Regions 4 and 6 (including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas) to determine the current need and demand for the HIV Partner Counseling and Referral Services (PCRS) training, Introduction to STD Intervention (ISTDI) training, and other related partner services and program support courses
2) Evaluation of current HIV training programs to identify barriers or facilitators that helped and/or hindered a participant in his/her ability to implement skills and knowledge acquired during the training and/or other impediments to the training (location of the training, length of the training, etc).
3) A 3-month post-course evaluation for participants who completed training in HIV Partner Counseling and Referral Services, to identify the minimum the number of partners elicited by these counselors, ease of obtaining information on notified partners, and barriers to eliciting and/or notifying partners.
4) Research to identify structural elements (e.g. laws, policies, procedures, staffing changes, length of time between course and a case) relevant to effective training delivery.
Sponsor:
Texas Department of State Health Services / Centers for Disease Control