title: Challenges in recruiting and training drug treatment patients as peer outreach workers: a perspective from the field.
abstract: Hispanic patients were recruited from methadone maintenance treatment programs in 2005-2008 to be trained as peer outreach workers, targeting migrant drug users from Puerto Rico. Goals of the outreach focused on reducing HIV-related risk behaviors. A total of 80 peers were recruited from 4 clinics in New York and New Jersey. Following training, they conducted outreach in their communities for 12 weeks. This paper describes the challenges encountered during the recruitment, training, and outreach phases of the project, from the field perspective. Recommendations for future efforts in training drug treatment patients as outreach workers are provided.
authors.affiliation: National Development & Research Institutes, Inc., New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Rosa M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Colón
authors.forename: Sherry
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Deren
authors.forename: Honoria
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Guarino
authors.forename: Milton
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mino
authors.forename: Sung-Yeon
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kang
mesh_terms: D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D055030:Drug Users; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D009515:New Jersey; D009518:New York; D010379:Peer Group; D010560:Personnel Selection; D011647:Puerto Rico / Q000208:ethnology; D012309:Risk-Taking; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014171:Transients and Migrants