Brothers to Brothers/Sisters to Sisters Services

The Brothers to Brothers/Sisters to Sisters Coalition is comprised of five stakeholder organizations, including three diverse treatment programs (representing detoxification, residential, outpatient, methadone, and disability-specific treatment options), the local AIDS service organization, and the county health department. Each of the partners assists with enhancing and expanding a consumer-driven service system that will:
Conduct extensive community outreach, education, HIV testing, and substance abuse assessment. Enhance and expand substance abuse treatment at three local and complementary treatment agencies. Decrease the mortality rate among Dayton's African American adults, who are seven times more likely to contract HIV than Caucasians. Project components include extensive outreach to specific geographic or sub-populations, which includes media campaigns targeted to the at-risk populations. Substance abuse treatment has been expanded with additional case management, education and therapy specific to risks from HIV/AID, and support groups to better serve individual needs and circumstances. Through the coalition, persons in the target population receive several levels of incentives in order to promote STD education, HIV testing, substance abuse assessment, and compliance with follow-up interviews. A comprehensive evaluation is planned, and the entire design is strongly consumer-focused and consumer driven. Mobile Health Van testing Outreach is accomplished by several means, including working through community organizations and neighborhood priority boards, an outreach van that offers education and health testing, and a city-wide publicity campaign. An HIV prevention curriculum specific for AOD treatment, as well as on-site HIV testing, are being integrated into participating AOD treatment settings. At least 75% of the staff designated in the project are African Americans. Although Dayton has a very small Hispanic/Latino census, several activities are planned which will improve outreach to these growing populations.