Study Timeframe: 2024-2029
Principal Investigators:
Victoria Frye (contact), DrPH
Nabila El-Bassel, PhD
Timothy Hunt, PhD
Project Summary
HIV prevalence in correctional facilities in the US is about five times greater than in the general population and about 14% of people living with HIV experience incarceration/release every year; further, 15% of those incarcerated do not know their HIV status. An estimated 70-80% of US jail detainees have a Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and overdose-related mortality and HIV infection are common post-release. The overall goal of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of TechMPower. This intervention bundles implementation strategies to increase the delivery of evidence-based intervention (EBPs) to prevent adverse HIV-related (new HIV infections, untreated HIV, etc.) and SUD-related outcomes (fatal and non-fatal overdose) among a sample of individuals in county jails. The EBPs include: 1) HIV screening/testing via self-testing (TRUST); 2) SUD screening/testing (SBIRT); and 3) access to and uptake of biomedical HIV and SUD prevention and treatment (PrEP/PEP/ART); overdose education/naloxone distribution and opioid use disorder medication delivered through 4) hybrid linkage (telehealth, face-to-face) to services via Navigation Enhanced Case Management.
This study’s results will fill vital gaps in knowledge regarding how to improve the health and well-being of incarcerated people who could benefit from HIV prevention and treatment and who have SUD using tech-mediated EBP service delivery in jails with peer-delivered linkages to community-based care. This five-year study includes a one-year pilot, followed by a four-year, two-phase, Hybrid Type II effectiveness/implementation study to evaluate the effectiveness of TechMPower.
