Background:

This SPNS initiative will implement and evaluate innovative social media methods to identify, link, and retain HIV positive underserved, underinsured, hard-to-reach youth and young adults (ages 13-34) in HIV primary care and supportive services. These methods include system approaches utilizing a variety of social media, internet and mobile-based technologies to improve engagement and retention in care, and viral suppression. Demonstration projects are expected to implement these models; evaluate their effectiveness; and to disseminate findings, best practices and lessons learned. Demonstration sites are also required to work collaboratively with an Evaluation and Technical Assistance Center (ETAC) throughout the four year project period to collect and report evaluation data and disseminate successful models to the larger public health community. Social media interventions will focus on youth and young adults living with HIV who are aware of their HIV infection status, but have never been engaged in care; are aware, but have refused referral to care; have dropped out of care; are infected with HIV, but are unaware of their HIV status; or have not achieved viral load suppression.

Grantees:

Grants for this initiative are awarded to the organizations listed, with a brief description of each social media model below. Funding is anticipated for four years from 2015-2019.

• Coastal Bend Wellness Foundation, Inc., Corpus Christi, TX
• Friends Research Institute, Inc., Los Angeles, CA
• Health Research, Inc., Menands, NY
• Howard Brown Health Center, Chicago, Il
• The Metrohealth System, Cleveland, OH
• Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA
• Philadelphia Fight, Philadelphia, PA
• Public Health Foundation Enterprises, Inc., City of Industry, CA
• Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC
• The Washington University, Saint Louis, MO
• University of California at Los Angeles (ETAC)

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