Using Social Networks: A Recruitment Strategy for Counseling, Testing and Referral Services
The goals of this two- to three-day training are to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of how to utilize social networks as a recruitment strategy for Counseling, Testing and Referral (CTR), and to develop knowledge and skills needed to successfully implement SNS for CTR in HIV/STD prevention agencies.
SNS allows agencies to reach highest-risk persons, hard-to-reach communities and HIV-infected individuals who are unaware of their status by building on existing relationships of trust, and, in turn, creating positive responses to HIV-testing messages. At the end of the training, participants will be able to:
- differentiate SNS from other activities;
- explain the four phases of the SNS;
- describe the benefits of SNS to reach people at high risk for infection; and
- develop a plan for implementation.
Recommended participants: staff of agencies interested in implementing (recommend 1 project manager/coordinator and 1 implementation staff member), and state contract monitoring and/or technical assistance staff and one person who is responsible for monitoring and/or providing technical assistance.