Adolecent Initiative
Fighting HIV,
One Youth at a Time CHOP’s Adolescent Initiative Leads Philadelphia’s Battle Against HIV.
“This is about prevention at its finest. With the proper education oriented toward changing behaviors, it really might make a difference. It might ultimately save lives.” – Kenneth Ginsburg, M.D., attending physician, Craig-Dalsimer Division of Adolescent Medicine
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 63 percent of Philadelphia high school students are sexually active; some younger than age 13. This statistic underscores the tremendous need for adolescent-specific HIV medical care and sexual health prevention services in our city. CHOP’s Adolescent Initiative Program answers this need. One of the first clinical programs dedicated to the prevention, care and research of HIV in adolescents, it is recognized nationally by the Health Resource Services Administration as a model for “Best Practices” for linking and retaining HIVinfected youth in care. A multidisciplinary team has developed numerous innovative approaches for prevention, outreach, identification and comprehensive care for HIV-infected youth, providing the framework for successful clinical research and prevention programming.
Helping Youth Last year, CHOP’s Adolescent Initiative continued to lead the field and actively collaborate in efforts to increase the services provided to youth throughout the area and the nation. The program served 155 HIV-infected youth and more than 3,000 high-risk HIV-negative youth, providing an array of services including outreach case management to link infected youth to care; comprehensive HIV care and primary care; family planning services; intensive case management; onsite mental health screening and individual counseling; on-site psychiatric consultation; life skills support groups; communitybased nursing adherence; and wellness counseling.
Community Collaboration The program continued to oversee a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention proven risk reduction intervention program at the Youth Study Center, a juvenile detention facility in Philadelphia. In 2010, 77 youths received intensive
comprehensive risk counseling services and 382 were assessed. Services included referral to early intervention counseling, testing and linkage to community-based services to promote positive health behaviors. HIV counseling and testing services were also made available at several community settings, including CHOP’s Pediatric and Adolescent Care Network sites in West Philadelphia and Cobbs Creek, Covenant House (a homeless shelter for high risk youth), the Youth Study Center, and other sites, including two high schools. More than 1,500 youth have been reached through this program; 1,328 have been tested and 191 have received counseling and education.
Advancing Understanding CHOP’s Adolescent Initiative works hand-in-hand with area agencies through its involvement with the Adolescent Trials Network (ATN) — a 15-site research network that conducts therapeutic, behavioral and community prevention research in HIV-infected and HIV-at-risk youth populations — and SMILE (Strategic Multisite Initiative for the Identification, Linkage and Engagement in Care of Youth with Undiagnosed HIV Infection), a joint venture of the CDC and the National Institutes of Health. The economic crisis, unstable government budgets and other factors indicate an uncertain future when it comes to HIV and AIDS. Despite these obstacles, the Adolescent Initiative hopes to continue its efforts to reduce new infections; increase access; improve health outcomes; and reduce HIV-related health disparities for our city’s populations. n Learn more about CHOP’s Adolescent Initiative Program by calling 215-590-4943.
CHOP 2011 Community Benefit Report • 19