Evidence-Based Interventions (DEBI)

Diffusion of Effective Behavioral Interventions (DEBI)

The goal of the DEBI Project is to enhance the ability of community providers to deliver proven individual, group and community level interventions to reduce the spread of HIV and STDs, and promote healthy behaviors.

There are approximately 18 interventions included in the CDC's DEBI Project.

For assistance selecting a DEBI for your agency call: Janet Foster, AIDS Institute 518-473-2300.

For information about these interventions and the schedule of CDC-funded trainings, please visit the DEBI website.

Note: Agency leadership must review the DEBI Fact Sheet and Agency Readiness Assessment to determine if the intervention is appropriate for their agency and target population. These materials are available on the DEBI website.

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New York State Department of Health - AIDS Institute

Group Facilitation Skills for STD/HIV Prevention Interventions

This two-day training will help to increase providers' confidence, knowledge and practice skills in facilitating groups, such as the Centers for Disease Control's evidence based behavioral intervention "VOICES/VOCES."

As a result of this training participants will be able to:

  • Increase their understanding of group process and how it influences behavior change;
  • Identify qualities of an effective group facilitator;
  • Increase skills in facilitating STD/HIV prevention intervention groups;
  • Identify strategies for handling group problems; and
  • Learn the importance of training, supporting and evaluating group facilitators.

Prerequisite: None

Audience: Group facilitators, counselors, health educators, peer educators, health care professionals and other public health prevention providers who conduct group level STD/HIV prevention interventions.

Date Location Registration Center
January 6-7 Albany PDP SUNY Albany
February 24-25 Rochester CHBT
March 9-10 Manhattan NDRI
March 18-19 Greenlawn CPHE
May 11-12 Hawthorne ARCS
May 26-27 Albany PDP SUNY Albany
June 2-3 Manhattan Cicatelli
June 17-18 Johnson City STAP

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VOICES/VOCES Facilitator Training

This two-day training provides participants with the information and materials needed to implement the VOICES/VOCES intervention.

As a result of this training participants will be able to:

  • Identify the Core Elements of VOICES/VOCES intervention;
  • Conduct the single-session, Video-based group level intervention;
  • Describe ways to improve condom negotiation skills among African-American and Latino adults;
  • Practice facilitating gender and ethnic-specific groups of 4-8 participants and encourage discussion about condoms use and barriers; and
  • Utilize CDC-approved materials on HIV risk behavior and condom use in both English and Spanish.

Prerequisite: It is strongly recommended that a person in a leadership role in the agency attend an Information Session for Agency Directors prior to having staff attend the Facilitator Training. This training is only for agencies who are strongly committed to implementing the VOICES/VOCES intervention.

Audience: This training is intended for a team of two to three staff from an agency who will be responsible for delivering this intervention. Staff should have knowledge of HIV/STDs and group facilitation skills.

Note: VOICES/VOCES (Video Opportunities for Innovative Condom Education and Safer Sex) is a single-session, video-based HIV/STD intervention that is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Division of HIV and AIDS Prevention's (CDC-DHAP) Diffusion of Effective Behavioral Interventions (DEBI) Project. To learn more about VOICES/VOCES visit the DEBI website.

Date Location Registration Center
December 16-17 Albany PDP SUNY Albany
March 9-10 Hawthorne ARCS
May 12-13 Albany PDP SUNY Albany
May 20-21 Manhattan Cicatelli

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Safety Counts

Safety Counts is an HIV prevention intervention for out-of-treatment active injection and non-injection drug users aimed at reducing both high-risk drug use and sexual behaviors. It is a behaviorally focused, seven session intervention, which includes both structured and unstructured psycho-educational activities in group and individual settings. This intervention works well with CDC's Advancing HIV Prevention initiative as it strongly encourages HIV testing as a precursor to program enrollment. Clients can be recruited from testing programs, and sessions include a discussion of the importance of testing to the client. The intervention addresses the needs of both HIV-negative and HIV-positive clients.

This three-day training will assist health and human service providers to:

  • Introduce methods of reducing HIV and viral hepatitis risk to active drug users;
  • Assist clients in receiving counseling and testing HIV and HCV;
  • Motivate and help clients to choose and commit to specific behavioral goals to reduce their risk of transmitting HIV and HCV;
  • Assist clients in defining concrete steps toward achieving their personal risk reduction goals; and
  • Provide social support and problem solving in individual and group settings to assist clients in achieving their risk reduction goals.

Prerequisite: Staff from each agency planning to implement the intervention should be familiar with harm reduction strategies, possess group facilitation skills, and be familiar with working with active substance and alcohol users.

Audience: We strongly recommend that two staff from each agency planning to implement the intervention attend a Safety Counts training and their selection follow these requirements:

  • The counselor (or other staff person) who will have primary responsibility for conducting the Safety Counts group and individual sessions.
  • The executive director or program manager who will oversee the intervention to facilitate agency internal capacity building and commitment to Safety Counts.
Date Location Registration Center
February 23-25 Manhattan HRC

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Selecting Effective Behavioral Interventions

This two-day training is to provide participants with an understanding of the systematic process for selecting effective behavioral intervention(s) that best fit their community's unique circumstances and organization's capacity. Consequently, this course provides the foundation for successful adaptation and implementation. The course will familiarize participants with common terminology and concepts related to selection and the framework designed to select the most appropriate intervention(s).

As a result of this training, participants will be able to:

  • List the four steps in selecting and evidence-based behavioral intervention (EBI);
  • Describe how behavioral interventions work to change behaviors;
  • Use community assessment results to identify intervention population and risk factors;
  • Examine EBI-specific behavior change logic models to assess behavioral interventions;
  • Assess agency capacity in relation to EBI-specific implementation plans;
  • Match the results of community assessment, intervention assessment, and agency capacity assessment to select the appropriate EBI; and
  • Identify available technical assistance resources.

Prerequisite: Participants should have a working knowledge of behavioral science theory, and program experience in conducting community assessments and implementing HIV/STD prevention interventions. This course is meant to be a prerequisite to the Adapting Evidence-Based Interventions Course.

Audience: This course is designed for persons who work at agencies, which make decisions about which Effective Behavioral Interventions (EBIs) are the best fit for the population served by the agency. This may include HIV/STD prevention and care program directors, managers, coordinators, and some direct service providers. The target audience may also include those whose roles have direct influence on the prevention services provided to priority populations, including health department staff and community planning group members.

Date Location Registration Center
April 14-15 Rochester CHBT

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Using Focus Groups for Adapting Effective Behavioral Interventions

This two-day training provides participants with the skills to conduct focus groups and use the results to adapt effective behavioral interventions to meet their community's HIV and STD prevention needs.

As a result of this training, participant will be able to :

  • Explain the science of how DEBIs and EBIs work;
  • Explain the definition of adapting and common reasons for adapting a DEBI;
  • Demonstrate skills in identifying common types of DEBI adaptations;
  • Create a topic guide that can inform intervention adaptations;
  • Describe how to plan and facilitate a focus group;
  • Demonstrate the process of analyzing focus group data;
  • Demonstrate how to use focus groups results to adapt an EBI;
  • Revise a behavior change logic model for an adapted EBI;
  • Explain how to pretest and pilot adapted materials; and
  • Identify resources for training and technical assistance.

Prerequisite: Although there is no prerequisite for this training, it is strongly recommended that participants attend "Selecting an Effective Behavioral Intervention" prior to attending this course.

Audience: Agency staff who make decisions about which EBIs are the best fit for the population served by the agency, such as HIV/STD prevention and care program directors, managers, coordinators and some direct service providers. These individuals may include health department staff and community planning group members who have direct influence on the prevention services provided to priority populations.

*Look for Additional Dates in the July - December 2010 Calendar*

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Using Interviewing and Observation for Adapting Effective Behavioral Interventions

This two-day training provides participants with the skills to conduct interviews and observations and use the results to adapt effective behavioral interventions to meet their community's HIV and STD prevention needs. This training addresses the needs of agencies that want to implement an EBI that does not address specific population needs.

As a result of this training, participants will be able to:

  • Explain the science of how DEBIs and EBIs work;
  • Explain the definition of adapting and common reasons for adapting a DEBI;
  • Demonstrate skills in identifying common types of DEBI adaptations;
  • Describe the types of ethnographic techniques used in adapting;
  • Describe the use of the CID process in collecting data to adapt an EBI;
  • Create a key participant interview to inform adaptation;
  • Explain how to use observation data to adapt an EBI;
  • Describe how to summarize interview and observation data;
  • Demonstrate skills in using interview and observation data to adapt an EBI;
  • Revise a behavior change logic model for an adapted EBI;
  • Explain how to pre-test and pilot adapted materials and activities; and
  • Identify resources for training and technical assistance.

Prerequisite: Although there is no prerequisite for this training, it is strongly recommended that participants attend "Selecting an Effective Behavioral Intervention" prior to attending this course.

Audience: Agency staff who make decisions about which EBIs are the best fit for the population served by the agency, such as HIV/STD prevention and care program directors, managers, coordinators, and some direct service providers. These individuals may include health department staff and community planning group members who have direct influence on the prevention services provided to priority populations.

Date Location Registration Center
January 27-28 Manhattan CHBT
May 19-20 Rochester CHBT

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