1. Addressing HIV Testing,
Prevention, Care and Support
Service Referral Needs in
California
Dennis Fleming
Intervention Specialist
California Department of Public Health
Office of AIDS

2. National HIV/AIDS Strategy
• Instructs “health departments to
provide…local information on where to
access care and support services… (and
that they be) disseminated online.”
• Limited resources encourage collaborating
with and sharing already developed
resources across funding streams

3. Service Referral Line
• OA lost all state funding for testing, prevention,
care and support services in 2009
• As part of re-prioritization, brought telephone
hotline in-house
• Leveraged CDC and NPIN resources
• Established Referral Line
– Telephone line with live operators
– Live chat
– Website

4. The one comprehensive and easy to use website needed to find
California HIV Testing, Prevention, Care & Treatment,
and Support Services in your area.
Easy to remember URL:
www.HIVServicesCA.com

5. Service Referral Line
• Staff member answers calls and chats
during business hours
• Line redirects callers to 24 hour crisis line
after hours
• Callers seeking information (vs. referrals)
are referred to HIV/AIDS resources and
services such as HIV testing, prevention,
care and treatment and support services in
their area

6. #1 Service Request HIV Prevention
Services

7. Care & Treatment Services

8. Service
Categories for
Care &
Treatment

9. Support Services

10. Service
Categories for
HIV Support

11. Additional Resources

12. Six Month Evaluation
• 4568 calls were received (>750 per month)
• Of these, 13% requested information in
Spanish
• 2439 (53%) selected an option provided
on the recording
– General HIV/AIDS information
– STD services
– Emotional support services
– Operator assistance
– Of these, 14% requested operator assistance

13. Calls to the Hotline
– 47% General HIV information
– 26% Service referral assistance
– 17% Emotional support services
– 10% STD testing services
– ½ male, ½ female
• 87% of living cases in CA are in men

14. Location of Calls to Operators
• 48% Los Angeles and San Francisco
areas
– 55% of living cases are in these areas
• 32% High HIV/AIDS prevalence counties
– 39% of living cases are in these areas
• 19% Other counties
• 1% Outside California

15. Referrals Made by Operators
• 34% HIV testing sites
• 20% Exposure risk/test accuracy questions
• 11% Other
• 9% Insurance
• 6% HIV prevention services
• 6% Care and treatment
• 2% ADAP specific
• 2% PEP

16. Chats
• Approximately 159 over 5 months (32 /
month)
• 52% LA, SF and other high prevalence
counties
– 94% of living cases are in these areas
• 28% Other CA counties
• 20% Outside CA (including international)

17. Referrals Made by Operators
• Main interaction difference from calls:
– 41% Exposure risk/test accuracy questions from Chats
vs.
– 20% Exposure risk/test accuracy questions from Calls

18. Website
• 9340 hits to the website over 5 months
– 2701 searches for services
• 65% outside California
• 24% LA, SF, and high HIV/AIDS
prevalence counties

19. Conclusion
• By utilizing existing information resources
– Comprehensive service referral system can
be established
– Provide service referral without overwhelming
staff
– 14,000 contacts over 6 months

20. Improvements
• Created service categories not covered in
NPIN (PEP, acute HIV diagnosis, benefits
counseling)
• Increases in marketing to:
– Health departments
– Providers
– Consumers
– Advocacy groups

21. How can you help?
• Refer people to the service
• Refer contractors to update (or sign up)
listings
• Add organizations to it yourself via update
form available on the OA website
• Visit us by chat or call!

22. Acknowledgements
We would like to formally thank the Centers
for Disease Control for partnering with the
California Office of AIDS in developing this
resource for Californians

23. Questions/Contacts
Daniel Coronado
Daniel.Coronado@cdph.ca.gov
Dennis Fleming
Dennis.Fleming@cdph.ca.gov
F.E. Harrison (CDC)
ckv3@cdc.gov