RESEARCH TRAINING ON SERVICE SYSTEM FOR PERSONS W/ AIDS

University Of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles CA

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Abstract

DESCRIPTION (Applicant's abstract): This is a proposal to renew a multidisciplinary training program in the community organization of mental health service systems for persons with HIV infection and AIDS. A coordinated training program is designed led by scholars from eight fields: medicine, psychiatry, sociology, psychology, health services, epidemiology, nursing, and social welfare. It includes a three-year sequence for advanced students pursuing a Ph.D. in the social sciences or psychology and a two-year training sequence for those with a doctorate in the social sciences or psychology. The goal of the program is to enable trainees to develop the knowledge and technical skills needed to pursue either academic or non-academic careers in mental health service systems research concerned with services for seriously mentally ill persons with HIV infection and AIDS. A total of 42 students (25 predoctoral and 17 postdoctoral) have been trained or are undergoing training since the program began in 1989. All trainees participate in HIV research as part of their training. Ten Ph.D. dissertations on HIV topics have been completed and eleven others are in progress. Trainees have obtained academic and non-academic posts. The program curriculum has been enhanced. Faculty advisors who are experienced HIV researchers have been recruited from UCLA, Drew University, and RAND. Trainees are required to participate in a research study in a community-based HIV organization (CBO). Adding a more diverse group of HIV researchers has strengthened the Advisory Committee. The program has close ties to CHIPTS, an NIMH-sponsored prevention research center. Trainees participate in the CHIPTS annual research training conference. New linkages to HIV CBOs and to HIV and mental health services research projects have been developed.