Clinic-based community health worker support for Black adults living with HIV
Official title: Integrated Navigation Services for Treatment Adherence, Counseling, and Research (INSTACARE)
Funded at University of Miami School of Medicine · NIH-11088858 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A clinic program that uses community health workers to help Black adults with HIV stay on treatment and get help with housing, income, and other life needs.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Miami School of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Coral Gables, United States) |
| Project start | September 26, 2022 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $728,965 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MD018187-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11088858 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults (21+) who are Black, live in Miami-Dade County, and have poorly managed HIV or detectable viral loads are ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People who already have stable viral suppression, live outside Miami-Dade, or do not need help with social supports may not benefit directly.
What this research studies
You would work with a community health worker (CHW) who is based in your HIV clinic and helps with medication reminders, counseling, and connecting you to services like housing, food, and job support. The project places CHWs in University of Miami clinics in Miami-Dade County and focuses on Black adults whose HIV is not well controlled. Researchers will follow participants over time to see whether clinic-based CHW support leads to more people achieving and keeping low viral loads and staying in care. The work builds on earlier University of Miami studies that showed CHW support improved viral suppression.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could help more people achieve viral suppression and stay engaged in HIV care by addressing the social issues that interfere with treatment.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier University of Miami work found that both community-based and clinic-based CHW support improved viral suppression among Black people living with HIV, so this approach has shown promising results before.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Miami School of Medicine
Coral Gables, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kenya, Sonjia — University of Miami School of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Kenya, Sonjia
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Integrated Navigation for Adherence and Care in HIV (INSTACARE)
A clinic-based team of community health workers helps Black adults with poorly controlled HIV stay adherent to treatment and connected to care in Miami-Dade County.
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.