STI/HIV Prevention Program

Planning and Evaluation Unit

Planning

The Planning Unit oversees and conducts internal and external planning functions for the STI/HIV Section. This unit ensures that detection, prevention, care, and evaluation services are effective, accessible and acceptable to recipients via internal and external planning. In collaboration with other programs within the STI/HIV Section, this unit obtains compiles and applies qualitative and quantitative information for planning and coordinating purposes in order to improve HIV prevention service delivery and access. The unit coordinates and facilitates section-wide strategic and cross-programmatic planning, to identify and respond to the trends, practices and the environment factors surrounding STI/HIV prevention.

This unit also coordinates two external planning bodies to provide the STI/HIV Section with community input and guidance specific to HIV prevention and care issues:

1) HIV and AIDS Prevention Grant Program (CHAPP)

2) Colorado HIV/AIDS Care and Prevention Coalition (a.k.a., the Coalition), including numerous ad hoc and working committees for the Coalition.

The groups develop comprehensive statewide plans to identify target populations and priority interventions, provide HIV prevention funding and technical resources (via CHAPP), and ensure that prevention and care services are appropriately targeted statewide.

Research and Evaluation

The Research and Evaluation (R and E) Unit designs, conducts, and oversees studies to answer specific research questions about sexual and drug use behaviors and psychosocial factors that contribute to the spread of STD/HIV; evaluates the effectiveness of HIV prevention programs delivered statewide and within various agencies (local health departments, community-based organizations, etc.) to prevent and control the transmission of HIV; and recommends programmatic actions and further research based on research and evaluation data. 

In addition, the unit provides training and technical assistance to internal section staff and external HIV prevention/service agencies in the design and evaluation of HIV prevention programs and specific behavior change interventions. This assistance includes survey development and pilot testing, determination of sample sizes and evaluation design, database establishment and maintenance, data analysis, results interpretation, report writing, and feedback to staff and agencies on the application of evaluation results to program improvement and intervention design. 

2006 Needs Assessment

2007 Needs Assessment (High Risk Heterosexuals and Intravenous Drug Users)

2009 Needs Assessment (non-Denver Men Who Have Sex with Men)(Walls, 2009)

2010 Increases in Early Syphilis: a Community Conversation

2008 HIV/AIDS Care and Treatment Needs Assessment Report