Factors affecting client response to HIV outreach efforts

Purpose: This article describes 12 HIV Outreach Demonstration Projects funded by the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment in 1995, and the clients these projects served. The article also summarizes the findings of multivariate statistical analyses aimed at identifying important project and client characteristics that influenced project success in achieving two key outcomes: persuading at-risk clients to obtain HIV tests, and facilitating entry by substance-abusing clients into structured substance abuse treatment (SAT). Methods: Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) analysis was used to conduct the analyses. Results: The findings support the hypothesis that HIV Outreach, as an integrated approach to addressing the multiple problems clients have due to substance abuse and related problems, can be an effective model for reaching clients who have not been reached through traditional means. Implications: By implementing a complement of comprehensive HIV Outreach interventions, many of the HIV Outreach projects were successful in addressing the various needs of their clients. However, as detailed in this article, some services and service delivery procedures, were more effective than others in achieving project objectives.