CSUN/TTC START: Services for Telehealth and Rapid Testing: A campus and community partnership to serve those at risk for substance abuse and HIV

The California State University Northridge (CSUN)/Tarzana Treatment Center (TTC) Services in Telehealth and Rapid Testing (START) program is in response to the growing public health concern of increasing substance use and HIV infection among racial/ethnic minority young adults age 18-24 years. The CSUN/TTC START program addresses a gap in services to culturally diverse and high-risk populations in north Los Angeles County by offering remote substance use prevention and counseling to CSUN students, and rapid HIV testing and risk-reduction education to CSUN students and local young adult community members. Current substance use prevention and traditional HIV testing efforts at CSUN are not adequate to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse population of students and growing numbers of young people in the area. Additionally, young adults on nearby community college locations also lack access to rapid HIV testing. With the partnership of TTC, a highly experienced community organization skilled in providing substance abuse and HIV prevention and services to the target population, CSUN/TTC START aims to reduce the numbers of CSUN students reporting excessive use of substances, and increase the numbers of students and community young adults completing an HIV rapid test. Project goals are to: (1) increase awareness of campus after-hours substance abuse counseling and rapid HIV testing through development and implementation of a culturally-responsive outreach campaign designed to lead to an increase in demand for substance abuse and HIV prevention services and a reduction in stigma associated with such services; (2) expand CSUN?s student health center substance abuse prevention and counseling services with the addition of a telehealth counseling system provided by TTC, thereby increasing the numbers of students who are screened for substance abuse and subsequently referred and counseled (we aim to counsel 160 students in year one, and 320 each successive year for 800 students total); (3) increase the capacity of TTC, and its state-certified HIV counselors, to expand campus and community HIV rapid testing, including prevention, testing, and HIV counseling services to CSUN students and local community young adults (we aim to test 220 students/young adults in year one, and 440 each successive year for 1,100 rapid HIV tests total); and (4) increase community awareness of responsible alcohol sales and consumption by utilizing environmental strategies including the certification and integration of local alcohol vendors? responsible sales of beverages (we aim to train 5 local vendors in year one, 12 in year 2, and 15 in year 3 (32 alcohol vendors total), and the implementation of half-yearly police check-points near campus. Through these project activities, we aim to reduce excessive substance use and possible risky behaviors associated with substance abuse (drunk driving, unprotected sex, additional illicit drug use/misuse) that may increase risk for HIV.