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Project AIM: Bringing Evidence-Based Programs into Community-Based Services

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Crime, HIV and Health: Intersections of Criminal Justice and Public Health Concerns

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Abstract

Project Adult Identity Mentoring (AIM) is a positive youth development program targeting HIV risk prevention in middle school students that is currently designated as an Effective Behavioral Intervention by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Project AIM has been piloted among diffuse populations of youth. This chapter discusses the implementation of Project AIM among youth at risk for joining gangs in Los Angeles and examines the appropriateness, acceptability, feasibility and accuracy of Project AIM’s delivery within community services. Specifically, evaluations are provided on the responses of relevant stakeholders, including those of case managers, parents of youth, and the youth themselves. Program staff had the capacity to deliver Project AIM with accuracy, and the responses from the youth were uniformly favorable. Results suggest that Project AIM is an excellent fit to the service setting and program mission of city-initiated gang-prevention and reduction services. A discussion provides an overview of the challenges and successes of integrating sustainable evidence-based prevention programs into existing practices.

Data presented in this chapter were gathered during a study funded by the Clinical and Translational Science Institute Pilot and Feasibility Grant Program at the University of Southern California. The pilot project entitled “Translating Science-based Intervention into Practice: Project AIM and High-risk Adolescents,” was integrated into two violence prevention programs at the Division of Adolescent Medicine at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA): the Hollywood Bridges Youth Violence Prevention Program (July – December 2008), and the Cypress Park/Northeast Gang Reduction Youth Development Program (January 2009 – July 2010). The original study “Adult Identity mentoring” was supported by cooperative agreement #U64/CCU41327 from the Centers of Disease and Prevention. Dr. Clark, is the author of Project AIM and CHLA holds the copyrights and, as a result, may gain financially from future commercialization of Project AIM. If you have any questions regarding this disclosure, please contact the Office of Research Compliance at CHLA (323) 361-5760.

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Acknowledgement

We are indebted to Ms. Audruin Pittman, whose creativity and dedication ensured the success of this project. We also acknowledge the selfless support of Aida Cerda, MPH, the program manager, the clinical supervisors, Irene Lim, LCSW, Maria Solano, LCSW, and Krysia Dankowski, LCSW for their willingness to allow us into their programs and staff meetings. We are profoundly grateful to the following case managers: Jennifer Alfaro, Claudia Flores, Sergio Gonzalez, Sandra Lopez, Ron Portillo for embracing Project AIM within their practice. Finally, we wish acknowledge with great appreciation, the families of youth for their efforts to address their concerns for their children, as well as the youth themselves for sharing their dreams.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Adolescent Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Leslie F. Clark Ph.D., M.P.H.

  2. Adolescent Medicine Children’s Hospital, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Mia D. Humphreys M.S.W.

Authors
  1. Leslie F. Clark Ph.D., M.P.H.
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  2. Mia D. Humphreys M.S.W.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Leslie F. Clark Ph.D., M.P.H. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Criminal Justice &, Criminalistics, California State University, Los Angeles, State University Drive 5151, Los Angeles, 90032, California, USA

    Bill Sanders

  2. , Howard University, Office of Regulatory Research Compliance, 7th Street 1840, Washington, 20001, District of Columbia, USA

    Yonette F. Thomas

  3. National Institute on Drug Abuse, Div. Epidemiology, Services &, National Institutes of Health, Executive Blvd. 6001, Bethesda, 20892-9589, Maryland, USA

    Bethany Griffin Deeds

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Clark, L.F., Humphreys, M.D. (2013). Project AIM: Bringing Evidence-Based Programs into Community-Based Services. In: Sanders, B., Thomas, Y., Griffin Deeds, B. (eds) Crime, HIV and Health: Intersections of Criminal Justice and Public Health Concerns. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-8921-2_13

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