How neighborhoods and local services shape HIV care and substance use in Los Angeles
People and Place: Impacts on Substance Use and HIV Outcomes in Los Angeles
This project will try using peer case managers who know Los Angeles neighborhoods to help people living with HIV who use substances get and stay in care.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11360090 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be asked about where you go for HIV and substance-use care, how you travel there, and what helps or blocks you from getting services. The team will map clinic and service locations across Los Angeles County and combine those maps with interviews and your reported care visits and experiences. They will adapt an evidence-based peer case manager program (LINK-LA) so peers who know local neighborhoods help connect people to the right services. The study will pilot this neighborhood-aware, peer navigation approach to see if it improves linkage to and retention in HIV and substance-use care.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults living with HIV in Los Angeles County who currently use or have a history of substance use and who face barriers getting HIV or substance-use services are the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People without HIV, individuals who do not use substances, those already well connected to care, or people living outside Los Angeles County may not directly benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could make it easier for people with HIV who use substances to find, access, and stay in the care they need through locally tailored peer support.
How similar studies have performed: Peer navigation and linkage programs have helped similar groups before, but adapting those approaches specifically to Los Angeles’ geography and service patterns is a newer strategy.
Where this research is happening
Los Angeles, United States
- University of California Los Angeles — Los Angeles, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gorbach, Pamina Mae — University of California Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Gorbach, Pamina Mae
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 below.