Q. Are community-based organizations (CBOs) going to be expected to adopt and implement one of these best-evidence interventions?

There is no expectation that CBOs should adopt and implement any of these best-evidence interventions immediately. In fact, these interventions should be considered within existing contexts, including such factors as community planning and existing funding requirements.

CBOs directly funded by CDC are currently operating under a cooperative agreement that specifies the interventions and strategies to be implemented. CBOs not directly funded by CDC but funded by health departments under a cooperative agreement with CDC are expected to implement interventions based on scientific theory or with evidence of demonstrated or probable outcome efficacy. The health departments funded by CDC may want to fund CBOs to implement one or more of the 18 best-evidence interventions in the future.

For CBOs that have the flexibility to consider the newly identified best-evidence interventions, the following steps should be considered:

1. Consult your jurisdiction-wide comprehensive HIV prevention plan for priority populations and services and interventions
2. Identify target populations in need of best evidence interventions
3. Read the fact sheet(s) on the PRS website to identify and learn more about the various interventions for the identified target population. http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/research/prs/best-evidence-intervention.htm
4. Of those interventions that are most relevant for your target population, determine whether an intervention package and training are available through CDC’s Diffusion of Effective Behavioral Interventions (DEBI) project. http://effectiveinterventions.org. This information is also provided on the intervention fact sheet on the PRS website.
5. If an intervention is not available through DEBI, a package may have been developed by CDC’s Replicating Effective Programs (REP) project. On REP’s website, you can find information about intervention materials that may be available for purchase from the original researcher. www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/prev_prog/rep/ordering.htm.
6. There also may be packages available from non-CDC sources. In some cases, these interventions will only be available for a fee from the private distributor. Information about these sources, if available, is provided on the intervention fact sheet on the PRS website.
7. If there is no package available from any of these sources, the original investigator may have materials available. Their contact information is also provided on the intervention fact sheet on the PRS website.

Please note that CDC recommends that interventions with packages and available training, especially DEBIs, be considered first by agencies conducting HIV prevention interventions.

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Q. What kind of guidance should health departments be providing to grantees regarding these newly identified best-evidence interventions?

Health department grantees are currently providing HIV programmatic activities based on existing funding obligations and pre-approved plans. CBOs funded by health departments under a cooperative agreement with CDC are expected to implement interventions based on scientific theory or with evidence of demonstrated or probably outcome effectiveness. Health departments may want to fund CBOs to implement one or more of the 18 best-evidence interventions in the near future. Health departments should discuss this with their community planning groups (CPG) and consider these interventions in future funding cycles as soon as packages and trainings are made available. If the health department and CPG decide that implementation of some of these new interventions should proceed, then the follow steps should be considered:

1. Consult your jurisdiction-wide comprehensive HIV prevention plan for priority populations and services and interventions
2. Identify target populations in need of best evidence interventions
3. Read the fact sheet(s) on the PRS website to identify and learn more about the various interventions for the identified target population. www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/research/prs/best-evidence-intervention.htm
4. Of those interventions that are most relevant for your target population, determine whether an intervention package and training are available through CDC’s Diffusion of Effective Behavioral Interventions (DEBI) project. http://effectiveinterventions.org. This information is also provided on the intervention fact sheet on the PRS website.
5. If an intervention is not available through DEBI, a package may have been developed by CDC’s Replicating Effective Programs (REP) project. On REP’s website, you can find information about intervention materials that may be available for purchase from the original researcher. www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/prev_prog/rep/ordering.htm.
6. There also may be packages available from non-CDC sources. In some cases, these interventions will only be available for a fee from the private distributor. Information about these sources, if available, is provided on the intervention fact sheet on the PRS website.
7. If there is no package available from any of these sources, the original investigator may have materials available. Their contact information is also provided on the intervention’s fact sheet on the PRS website.

Please note that CDC recommends that interventions with packages and available training, especially DEBIs, be considered first by agencies conducting HIV prevention interventions. CDC hopes that health departments will work with their grantees and the jurisdiction’s community planning group to consider these interventions in future funding cycles as soon as the packages and trainings are made available.

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Q. How do I request intervention materials?

If you have identified an intervention appropriate for your community's needs, first view the intervention fact sheet presented on the PRS website which provides intervention package information. If an intervention package is available, that information will lead you to the source from which the package is available. For interventions currently disseminated by CDC’s Diffusion of Effective Behavioral Interventions (DEBI) project, the packages are available with training and technical assistance on how to implement the intervention at http://effectiveinterventions.org. For other interventions packaged by CDC’s Replicating Effective Programs (REP) project but not available through DEBI, you can contact the researcher to make arrangements for purchasing at www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/prev_prog/rep/ordering.htm. If the intervention package is not available through CDC’s REP or DEBI projects, but instead only available through some other source, that information is available on the intervention fact sheet on the PRS website (www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/research/prs/best-evidence-intervention.htm). Some interventions may not have available packages. For those, we suggest you contact the intervention developer (or principle investigator) as listed in the contact information on the intervention fact sheet on the PRS website. Please note that CDC recommends that interventions that have packages and training available, especially DEBIs, be considered first by agencies conducting HIV prevention interventions.

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Q. How do I obtain training on how to implement an intervention?

CDC’s Diffusion of Effective Behavioral Interventions (DEBI) project offers training and technical assistance on how to implement some of the best-evidence interventions identified in the PRS efficacy review. To sign up for a DEBI training course for a particular intervention, go to the DEBI website, click on the Apply for Training tab at the top of the page, view the training schedule for the intervention of interest, and complete a training application for the training you want to attend. If the training is full or there is not a training date/location that works for you, beneath the training schedule there is a "click here" link where you can request to be alerted by email of other course dates and locations for that intervention. For information on other training or technical assistance made available by CDC, please visit the National Network of STD/HIV Prevention Training Centers (PTCs) or the DEBI website for other technical assistance programs.

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Q. How can I implement an intervention without an available intervention package or training?

Please note that CDC recommends that interventions with packages and available training, especially DEBIs, be considered first by agencies conducting HIV prevention interventions. It may be difficult to implement one of these best-evidence interventions without an available package and training. There may be intervention manuals or protocols available directly from the intervention developer (or principle investigator). Please refer to the contact information on the intervention fact sheet on the PRS website http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/research/prs/best-evidence-intervention.htm.

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