5. Outreach
NO/AIDS began online outreach in 2000
Conducted 20-30 conversations per week
Approximately 100 people per year came
in to get tested because of encounter with
online outreach
Between 2000 – 2004 approximately 150
first-time testers came in because of
encounter with online outreach
6. Outreach
Not an EBI
Online outreach must still maintain fidelity
to outreach models
NO/AIDS developed online outreach
protocol based on literature and agency
knowledge
7. Outreach
Must create an agency online protocol
Can use National Guidelines for Internet-
based STD/HIV Prevention – Outreach as a
guide
http://www.ncsddc.org/upload/wysiwyg/documents/IGO.pdf
Website administrators will ask to review
your protocol before you can set up an
outreach/health profile
8. Popular Opinion Leader
Community Level Intervention
Based on Diffusion of Innovation Theory
“Friends Influencing Friends to Instill a
Risk Reduction Norm Among Themselves”
9. Popular Opinion Leader
NO/AIDS funded for POL starting in 2004
Forced to take a break in late summer of
2005
Online trainings started in Summer 2007
10 POLs trained in first year
Approximately 60 conversations submitted in
first year
10. Popular Opinion Leader
Core Elements
Identifiable target population
Ethnographic techniques used to identify
Popular Opinion Leaders (POLs)
15% of target population trained
Teach POLs characteristics of effective
behavior change communication messages
11. Popular Opinion Leader
Core Elements
Small group, weekly training sessions
POLs set goals to engage in risk-reduction
conversations with friends & acquaintances
POL conversations are reviewed, discussed,
reinforced at subsequent training sessions
Logos or symbols used as conversation
starters for POL
12. Popular Opinion Leader
Online POL maintained fidelity to core
elements
Target population: MSM who frequent chat
rooms in the Gulf South
Staff observed chat rooms and documented
observations
Goal was to train 15% of chat room users
Used POL training guide
13. Chat Room Estimation Report
Chat Room User Estimation
Start Time: End Time: Date: Observer name:
Each session one-hour observation
Create a folder for each session: Nomenclature: Date-start time to end time
If a chat room is not accessible, please observe a different chat room and make a note of the same in this sheet.
Check the chat rooms you are observing.
Gay.com:
Chat rooms:
New Orleans
LA Statewide
Houston
Atlanta
Do the observation through Chattage
Maximum chat room users allowed ___
Number of users in Chat room: start, every 30 minutes, end
Screen Shot (use print screen on the key board and copy paste to a WORD document): start, every 30 minutes,
end
Save the chat transcript: via Chattage Nomenclature: website-chatroom- Date-start time to end time initials
Read the transcript.
Write a summary of what was being discussed (relevant to the project).
After reading the saved transcript do you think any one can be a
POL
Focus Group
Key Informant
Why? Check all that apply Screen Name A Screen Name B Screen Name C
Greeted most often
Greets others often
“The life of the party”
Trusted and well-liked by
their network of friends
Sought out for advice
The center of what’s happening
Spoken of respectfully by others
Interacts with one primary social network
Interacts with multiple social networks
Elicits apparent interest from others
Appears to enjoy the company of others
Others appear to enjoy his company
Others in the chat room ask him for opinions
Others ask him about available HIV services
Others ask him about available referral services
Others ask him for information/discuss hurricanes
Other ____________________________________
Blkgaychat.com and Adam4adam.com:
Number of users and individuals: Copy and Paste into WORD document number of individuals in New Orleans
area: start, every 30 minutes, and end.
14. Popular Opinion Leader
Online POL maintained fidelity to core
elements
Conducted online, small group, weekly
training sessions using distance learning
platform
POLs attempted 10 conversations per month
POLs used online form to submit conversation
summary
Used symbol for conversation starter
16. Popular Opinion Leader
POL
POPULAR OPINION LEADER
CONVERSATION CONTACT FORM
My POL/Screen Name is _______ __________________________
First Name or Screen Name: Date of Conversation: Place of Contact:
Age Race/Ethnicity
Summary of Conversation :
First Name or Screen Name: Date of Conversation: Place of Contact:
Age Race/Ethnicity
Summary of Conversation :
First Name or Screen Name: Date of Conversation: Place of Contact:
Age Race/Ethnicity
Summary of Conversation :
First Name or Screen Name: Date of Conversation: Place of Contact:
Age Race/Ethnicity
Summary of Conversation :
First Name or Screen Name: Date of Conversation: Place of Contact:
Age Race/Ethnicity
Summary of Conversation :
First Name or Screen Name: Date of Conversation: Place of Contact:
Age Race/Ethnicity
Summary of Conversation :
17. Popular Opinion Leader
Initially had great success
Online community excited about
intervention
Trained 10 POLs
POLs were having conversations
And then two things happened…
18. Popular Opinion Leader
Evacuation for Hurricane Gustav: “The
Mother of All Storms” - Mayor C. Ray Nagin
Gay.com radically revamped their platform
19. Popular Opinion Leader
As a result
Users unable to get online
Users quickly abandoned Gay.com
Once users left Gay.com, no place to conduct
intervention
Equivalent of only gay bar in town closing
20. RESPECT
Funded in 2010
Agency decided there was still a need for
online intervention
POL no longer viable option for agency
ILI ideal for instant message, private chat
format
22. RESPECT
Core Elements
1:1 counseling, using RESPECT Prompts
Teachable moments
Explore circumstances and context of recent
risk behavior
Negotiate achievable step which supports
larger risk-reduction goal
Implement & maintain quality assurance
23. RESPECT
Online RESPECT maintains fidelity to
Core Elements
1:1 sessions, using prompts, will be
conducted in chat room in secure, project
website
Use teachable moments
Explore recent risk behavior
Negotiate achievable step
Quality Assurance plan in place
25. RESPECT
Goals for Year 2
200 MSM, age 18+ who find sexual partners
online will complete the 2 RESPECT sessions
100 MSM, age 18+ will access HIV testing via
referrals from RESPECT
27. Lessons Learned
Must work closely with website
administrators
Websites have different requirements for
setting up outreach/health profile
Do not expect to have an outreach profile
established in just a few days
28. Lessons Learned
Money/Cost
Must have up to date technology
Cost for Outreach Profile on some sites
Do you need a project specific website?
Staff must know how to use the
technology
Include in your budget or find way to get
equipment and/or time donated
29. Lessons Learned
Interaction technology changes fast
Chat rooms IM Mobile Apps
Online room/site/app that was hot today
may be abandoned very quickly
Users in Gulf South quickly left gay.com in
2008, switched to Manhunt & Grindr
Not all online venues equally popular in all
geographic areas
30. Lessons Learned
You will have the same challenges online
that you have in “real world”
Recruitment participants
Retaining participants
Record Keeping
31. Lessons Learned
Need to establish legitimacy
Must build trust and rapport
Let people know you and your agency are
for real
32. Lessons Learned
It takes time
With knowledge, initiative, and know how
interventions can be successful online
33. Contact Information
Joshua Fegley, LCSW – CAN Project
Coordinator
joshf@noaidstf.org
Jean Redmann – Director of Prevention
jeanr@noaidstf.org
