Participants will receive compensation for their participation in this study, for their time and effort. At completion of each visit they will be compensated. The compensation is as follows: Screening: $5; Baseline: $35; 4 Intervention sessions: $30 each; 3-month follow-up: $35; 6-month follow-up: $50; and 12-month follow-up: $65. If participants complete all study activities they will receive a total of $305
Participating in Project WORTH
Participation in the study is completely VOLUNTARY and if the participant chooses to participate it will not affect their legal status or access to any other services to which they are entitled. All information is CONFIDENTIAL and will not be shared with anyone but study staff. If a participant agrees to take part in this study, the study activities do not fulfill their mandate. Because the study does not fulfill any legal requirements, the participants will be compensated for participating in the study. (We can provide letters of attendance if required).
Potential participants will be asked to complete a brief screening questionnaire to determine if they are eligible to enroll in Project WORTH. Eligible participants will be asked to sign a consent form that describes the study activities i before they enroll in the study. Participants will be asked to complete the following activities: (1.) Baseline assessment. (2.) Intervention- 4 two hour group sessions and ( 3.) Follow-up assessments at 3, 6, and 12-months post intervention. The assessments and intervention sessions will be held at SIG’s Community Research Site, which is located at 3280 Broadway in Manhattan. After completing a baseline assessment, the participant will be randomly assigned to attend one of three interventions:
Traditional WORTH: The Traditional WORTH intervention was developed by this study’s investigative team as a group-based, integrated drug use and HIV prevention intervention for drug-involved women under community supervision which addresses intimate partner violence (IPV) and other gender specific risk factors for HIV. This four-session, group-based intervention covers HIV information, risk assessment and goal setting, risk reduction strategies, problem solving skills, communication and negotiation skills building, relationship safety planning and intimate partner violence prevention, help-seeking and social support.
Multimedia WORTH: The Multimedia WORTH intervention has the same content as Traditional WORTH, but it is translated into interactive tools and culturally tailored video vignettes designed to enhance group learning and individualized feedback. Participants will interact with Multimedia WORTH at two levels: (1) group materials will be delivered via computer projection onto a screen and (2) participants will complete individual activities and create journal logs tracking their progress on personalized goals on their personal user accounts using laptop computers.
Wellness Promotion: This evidence-based wellness promotion group intervention is designed to address health related issues that affect economically challenged, drug using women. The core elements of this intervention are to improve nutrition, fitness, access to and communication with health care providers, and stress management through fun interactive exercises and group discussion.
Participants will receive compensation for their participation in this study, for their time and effort. At completion of each visit they will be compensated. The compensation is as follows: Screening: $5; Baseline: $35; 4 Intervention sessions: $30 each; 3-month follow-up: $35; 6-month follow-up: $50; and 12-month follow-up: $65. If participants complete all study activities they will receive a total of $305
How can Project WORTH make a difference?
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. All three interventions are evidence-based and designed to be scaled up in a range of criminal justice settings that serve drug-involved women if they are found to be effective in this intervention study. 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.
