PCRS Partner Counseling and Referral Services

1. PCRSPartner Counseling and Referral Services Tereé Jerome Fern Orenstein California PCRS Program

2. HIV Partner Counseling & Referral Services (PCRS) • Array of Voluntary & Confidential services available to HIV positive persons and their sex and/or needle-sharing partners • Integral part of a comprehensive HIV prevention program… • Prevention With Positives

3. PCRS • For the HIV+ client :support andprofessional assistance with the notification of HIV exposure to all relevant partners • For the partners :services include: • notification of HIV exposure • HIV counseling and testing options, • referrals for other services: PCM, support groups, drug tx, STD evaluation, housing, domestic violence resources, legal assistance, etc...

4. PCRS Guiding Principles • Voluntary • Confidential • Client Centered • On-going • Support Services and Referrals • Universal access

5. Disclosure Options • Self Disclosure • Dual Disclosure • Provider Disclosure (Anonymous 3rd Party Disclosure )

6. Dispelling Myths about PCRS • Clients don’t want it • Clients are too overwhelmed • Not “client centered” • Not voluntary • Not confidential • Cannot be done in anonymous settings

7. GIVE MENAMESNAMES NAMES The Clinic What People Think

8. Role of Providers • Check in with clients about partners • Support clients in deciding whether or not to disclose their status • Help client explore which option, if any, is best • Self, Dual, or Provider (Anonymous) • Assess safety, Partner/Domestic Violence

9. CDC 2004 Prevention Plan Approx ¼ of persons w/HIV (950K) are not aware of their infection and their risk for transmitting HIV. • Prevent new infections by working w/HIV + persons and partners: • Voluntary PCRS • Rapid Testing (new models for DX HIV) • Linking positive persons into care and treatment earlier • Prevent vertical transmission, mother to child, 180 cases last year

10. Benefits & Concerns • Break into three groups: Client, Partner & Provider • Brainstorm the benefits & concerns around PCRS, for the group you represent • You need: 1) Recorder 2) Reporter *15 minutes*

11. Utilization of Voluntary HIV Partner Counseling and Referral Services (PCRS) California Office of AIDS & STD Control Branch

12. PCRS Program Data • 5 Demonstration Projects • 14 Local Health Jurisdictions (LHJs) • March 1999 – December 2002 • 1783 clients offered PCRS

13. How HIV + Clients are Responding to PCRS (N=1783) Prepared by California Department of Health Services: Office of AIDS and STD Control Branch

14. Partner Referrals • 450 HIV+ clients went on to refer partner • 802 total partners referred • Average partners referred per client: 1.8 • Range: 1-21 partners • 71% designated only 1 partner • 42% of partners referred to Provider, Dual or Contract services

15. Partner Referrals Prepared by California Department of Health Services: Office of AIDS and STD Control Branch *percentages do not necessarily add to 100% as OCs can choose multiple referral choice for different partners

16. Follow-up was initiated on 189 partners 161 partners (85%) were located & 90 (56%) of the located partners were tested Tested 56% (n=90) Prev neg, still neg 40% (n=36) Prev neg, new pos 2% (n=2) Prepared by California Department of Health Services: Office of AIDS and STD Control Branch

17. Partner Follow-up • 189 partners followed-up • 161 located (85%) • 13% already HIV + • 10% new positives of those located (16/161) • 90 tested (56%) • 18% new positives of those tested (16/90) • 1.3% state OA-funded positivity rate • 4%- 7.5% ‘HIV+ partner’ high risk group • Over half (58%) of those testing were 1st time testers (n=52)

18. Supporting Materials from PCRS Program • Customized Training • Brochures • Palm Cards • Standards and Recommendations • Data collection tools and technical assistance • PCRS Toolkit (under construction)

20. Fern Orenstein PCRS Program Director State of California 510-883-6638 forenste@dhs.ca.gov Tereé Jerome PCRS Regional Coordinator Bay Area 510-540-2907 tjerome@dhs.ca.gov. Contact us