Tracking and interviewing clients at risk for HIV and substance abuse in a Latino community.

Latino Family Services' (LFS) Outreach and Pre-Treatment Program (OPT) has a mission to increase access of high-risk individuals to substance abuse treatment and HIV/AIDS and related services, and to decrease high-risk behaviors related to HIV/AIDS, TB and/or substance abuse. This mission is addressed through three program components: (1) outreach to high-risk individuals; (2) assessment and referral to needed services; and (3) facilitation of substance abuse pre-treatment didactic and support groups. Part of the OPT's evaluation involved tracking and interviewing clients three and six months after the intake assessment. This paper discusses methodological challenges faced by the evaluator in longitudinal tracking and interviewing a bicultural high-risk population. Recognizing the diversity of the target client population, we developed a culturally sensitive approach to tracking and interviewing Hispanic clients. This included: locating a bilingual/bicultural research interviewer; translating the questionnaire into Spanish; conducting the interviews in Spanish when preferred by the client; identifying effective incentives for participants; and tracking clients in a culturally-sensitive manner. We also describe the approach taken to maintain the methodological rigor of the evaluation. This included: maintaining the objectivity of the interviewer; maintaining the independence of the research interviewer from job roles of program staff; and protecting client confidentiality. Finally, the problems associated with tracking and following-up with this high risk client group are described, as well as the outcomes of such efforts.

The association of elder abuse and substance abuse in the Illinois Elder Abuse System.

This article explores the role of abuser substance abuse in 552 cases of substantiated elder abuse in Illinois. When the abuser was identified as having a substance abuse (SA) problem, the type of elder abuse substantiated was more likely to involve either physical or emotional abuse than neglect or financial exploitation. Abusers with SA problems were more frequently men and children of their victims, and less likely to be caregivers. Abuser SA was associated with victim SA. Cases involving abusers with SA problems were more likely to be evaluated by case workers as having a high potential risk for future abuse. Elder abuser case workers should be trained to identify both victim and abuser SA and appropriate intervention strategies.

The Illinois elder abuse system: program description and administrative findings.

In this article we describe the Illinois statewide elder abuse social service program, which is unusual in its comprehensive approach to the assessment and documentation of reported cases of abuse and its extensive data monitoring system. Descriptive information on the number and types of cases of elder abuse reported to the system are presented, along with information on the amount of social work time and administrative effort spent on substantiating abuse reports and providing services. Financial exploitation, emotional abuse, and neglect were the most common types of abuse reported, although emotional abuse was the type most frequently substantiated. The most frequent reasons for case closure were (a) victim entered long-term care, and (b) the workers' assessment that the victim was not at risk for future abuse. A detailed description of the comprehensive assessment and substantiation process is provided.