Led by RTI International, an independent nonprofit research institute dedicated to improving the human condition, the Substance Treatment Strategies for HIV care (STS4HIV) Project is dedicated to improving HIV care.

During the project’s first year, 690 key stakeholders (e.g., clients/patients, staff, funders) from across the United States participated in the project’s interactive survey that was designed to better understand which substance use disorders have the most negative population-level negative impact. Considering both the prevalence rate and the individual-level negative impact, the top three most problematic substance use disorders for individuals living with HIV were for: 1) alcohol, 2) opioids, and 3) methamphetamines.

During the project’s second year, 230 HIV service organizations from across the United States participated in the project’s interactive survey that was designed to better understand which substance use disorder treatment interventions are most promising for integration within HIV service settings. Results of this interactive survey, which was just completed at the end of May 2020, will be available soon.

During the project’s third year, the project’s third and final interactive survey will focus on understanding what are the most promising strategies for integrating the most promising substance use disorder treatment interventions within HIV service settings.

During the project’s last two years, the project’s guiding coalition of stakeholders will finalize and nationally disseminate multiple “Substance Treatment Strategy (STS) recommendations” that will provide HIV service organizations and their staff with actionable steps to improve integration of substance use services within HIV service settings. Additionally, the project will seek to help HIV service organizations integrate one or more of evidence-based treatments for substance use disorders by providing free technical assistance.