CHILDRENS-HOSPITAL LOS-ANGELES - A MODEL OF INTEGRATED CARE FOR HIV-POSITIVE AND VERY HIGH-RISK YOUTH

Childrens Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) provides an integrated care mode l for youth with and at high risk for human immunodeficiency virus (HI V) infection, through a grant from the Special Projects of National Si gnificance Program, HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) Bure au, Health Resources and Services Administration. The project has prov ided outreach to 8400 youth at risk and has provided clinical services to 296 young men (16.6% HIV positive) and 352 young women (9.1% HIV p ositive). Situated within the Division of Adolescent Medicine at Child rens Hospital Los Angeles, the project consists of a general medical c linic for youth along with psychosocial services including case manage ment, counseling, and related ancillary services. A key part of the mo del is to provide health services within a general medical clinic for youth where participation in the clinic does not serve to identify a y outh to his or her peers in the waiting room as having HIV. Another ke y part of the model is to provide extensive outreach within the commun ity including contacts at bars and social clubs where high-risk youth congregate, on the street, and through the social networks of youth al ready identified as having HIV who participate in the CHLA clinics. In the last 2 years of the program, the peer outreach component has been strengthened and peer support activities have also been implemented. The program also has developed a Computer-Assisted Adolescent Referral System (CAARS), available on diskette and on the Internet, for the re ferral of youth to services in the Hollywood area. (C) Society for Ado lescent Medicine, 1998.