Open AccessA System-Level Intervention to Encourage Collaboration Between Juvenile Justice and Public Health Agencies to Promote HIV/STI Testing
Author(s) -
Katherine S. Elkington,
Anne C. Spaulding,
Sheena Gardner,
Danica K. Knight,
Steven Belenko,
Jennifer E. Becan,
Angela Robertson,
Carrie B. Oser,
Ralph J. DiClemente
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
aids education and prevention
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.309
H-Index - 73
eISSN - 1943-2755
pISSN - 0899-9546
DOI - 10.1521/aeap.2020.32.4.337
Subject(s) - economic justice , public health , intervention (counseling) , agency (philosophy) , medicine , juvenile , gerontology , environmental health , nursing , family medicine , political science , sociology , social science , biology , law , genetics
Justice-involved youth are at high risk for HIV and STIs, and justice agencies are uniquely poised to offer HIV/STI testing. However, testing in these settings is not routine and represents a missed opportunity. This study describes a system-level implementation intervention designed to increase access to HIV/STI testing through juvenile justice (JJ) and public health agency collaboration across six counties in six states in the United States. Local change teams, active facilitation, and training were utilized to facilitate agency partnerships and development of HIV/STI practice change protocols. Five counties established health and JJ partnerships and four counties successfully implemented their protocols. Sites with HIV/STI education and testing protocols behaviorally screened 98.5% of youth and tested 41.2% of those youth; 0% were HIV+ and 43.2% had an STI. The intervention provides a feasible, scalable solution, through promoting partnerships between JJ and health agencies, to link youth to testing and treatment services.