Peer support to help people with HIV stay on treatment and manage substance use

Stepped Care, Peer-Delivered Intervention to Improve ART Adherence and SUD in Primary Care

NIH-funded research Univ of Maryland, College Park · NIH-11121858

This program uses stepped, peer-delivered support to help people living with HIV who struggle with substance use stick with their HIV medicines and get substance use help.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniv of Maryland, College Park NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (College Park, United States)
Project IDNIH-11121858 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

You would work with trained peers in your primary care clinic who deliver short, practical sessions to help you take your HIV medicines and reduce substance use. The approach starts with a single-session problem-solving and motivational intervention for ART adherence and adds brief behavioral skills like behavioral activation, mindfulness, and relapse prevention as needed. Care is stepped up based on your response so people who need more help receive more intensive support. The approach was piloted in Cape Town and is now being tested in resource-limited primary care settings to see how well it works and can be delivered widely.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: People living with HIV who receive primary care and have current substance use problems or difficulty with ART adherence would be the ideal candidates.

Not a fit: People without substance use issues, those not receiving care at participating primary care clinics, or those who need specialized inpatient addiction treatment may not benefit from this program.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could help people with HIV and substance use stay on ART, reduce substance use, and improve overall health and viral control.

How similar studies have performed: Earlier pilot work (the Khanya K23 project) showed feasibility, acceptability, and early promising results in Cape Town, but this larger trial will test its effectiveness and real-world delivery.

Where this research is happening

College Park, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome VirusAcquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Virus
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.