About the Project

Project WORTH is being carried out by the Social Intervention Group (SIG) at Columbia University School of Social Work in collaboration with the Center for Court Innovation, Bronx Community Court, and the New York City Department of Probation. Over the past two decades SIG under the leadership of Dr. Nabila El-Bassel has conducted intervention research in criminal justice settings and achieved significant national and international recognition for its work on HIV and drug abuse prevention. The primary goal of the WORTH intervention is to increase condom use and decrease HIV and other STDs among drug-involved women who are under community supervision. WORTH also aims to reduce drug use, and intimate partner violence and improve well-being through improving coping skills, negotiation skills, social support and access to services to address their needs. Project WORTH addresses a critical gap in current HIV prevention efforts with drug-involved women under community supervision, who remain at very high risk of HIV.  Project WORTH aims to make a significant impact on improving services in criminal justice settings to address the co-occurring epidemics of HIV and intimate partner violence among drug-involved women under community supervision