(See insructions): The Intervention Core (Core D) will provide a range of services to Center investigators to link with our community partners and to train investigators and providers to implement a broad range of interventions for treatment of mental illness, HIV, and their comorbidities. Specifically, Core D will: (1) Provide expert consultation on the design of HIV intervention projects with consistent consideration of integration of both biomedical and behavioral science;2) Assemble a library of manuals and other materials to facilitate access to and dissemination of evidence-based interventions for the treatment of mental illnesses and HIV;(3) Provide training for interventionists in the use of state-of-the-science interventions;and (4) Provide linkages with community-based providers for effectiveness trials. Many projects that Core D will support will be completed using established and standard methods, and we have an explicit preference for using manualized treatments in """"""""real worid"""""""" settings and comparative effectiveness research methods. In some cases, however, it will be necessary to either adapt existing methods or devise new ones in order to achieve the goals of a particular project or initiative. In general. Core D will utilize personnel effort that is supported by the Core for pilot projects and preparation of funding proposals, with the subsequent funded grants providing direct support of the resulting collaborative research effort. Core D is dedicated to building a portfolio over time that will combine comparative effectiveness research, translation and implementation science, and community-based participatory research (CBPR) methods. Building on the unique capacities available at Penn, the Intervention Core will collaborate with other centers and institutes such as the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics in the Wharton School and the Annenberg Public Policy Center to conduct cost-effectiveness and other policy relevant analysis in order to plan for targeted dissemination to influence public health policy regarding treatment of HIV among persons with psychiatric conditions. We will provide assistance in grant proposal preparation;and potential users of the Core will be alerted of the resources.
Persons with mental illness who are also HIV seropositive are difficult to treat and there is dearth of information about best practices for these individuals. Improving care for these individuals will improve treatment outcomes and quality of life, and has the potential for also reducing costs. Further, reducing the community viral load for the HIV+ mentally ill population will very likely reduce transmission ofthe virus.
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