The Saved Sista Project: a Faith-based Hiv Prevention Program for Black Women in Addiction Recovery

HIV/AIDS as well as substance use disorders continue to devastate the African American community. Black women have the highest rate of new HIV infections among all groups of American women, with more than twice the prevalence rate of white or Hispanic women. Substance use and its correlation to HIV is well documented, particularly within America's urban setting. As a result, multiple approaches to reducing HIV infection among inner-city substance users have been developed and operationalized. The SAVED SISTA Project, a program of Recovery Consultants of Atlanta. Inc.. is a faith-based adaptation of the evidence based intervention "Sisters Informing Sisters About Topics On AIDS (SISTA)." Its goal is to reduce HTV-infection and high risk behaviors among Atlanta's homeless female drug using population, utilizing the black church as a key component in this process. A ^ o r e than twenty-five years into the HIV/ uting to HIV, HCV, and sexually transmitted infecJLVxAIDS epidemic, prevention models utiliztions (STI) among substance users and their drug ing peer educators are still proving to be effective inand sex sharing partners (NIDA, 2006). This article tervention strategies, incessantly promoting healthy discusses the implementation of a faith-based HIV behaviors, practices and lifestyles, leading to a reducprevention and peer-led addiction recovery model tion in HIV and other sexually transmitted infecfor African American women who are pursuing or in tions (National Institute on Drug Abuse [NIDA], need of addiction recovery. The intervention is ap2006; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention propriately titled, "The 5y4V!ED ̂ /SZ^" project [CDC], 2003). An innovative peer-led HIV prevention strategy, one requiring a slight increase in soTHE SISXA 1 ROJEd phistication when compared to "traditional models" In 1999, the CDC published a comprehenis the "peer-led addiction recovery model." This insive group of evidenced based HIV prevention intervention utilizes well-trained peer-educators from terventions referred to as the Diffusion of Effective the 12-step and/or faith-based addiction recovery Behavioral Interventions (DEBI). These strategies community as change agents, engaging active and were developed in response to national pressure from newly recovering substance users in dialogue aimed prevention providers seeking science-based intervenat linking them with drug treatment and peer-led tions that would produce positive outcomes, leading addiction recovery support services as a strategy for to a reduction in HIV-infection. Sisters Informing reducing substance use as well as HIV and hepatiSisters on Topics about AIDS {SISTA), a. <pe.t'[-\eAHlY tis C (HCV) infections (White & Whiters, 2005; prevention program originally implemented in 1993 Whiters, Santibanez, Dennison, & Clark, 2006, in in the Bayview Hunter Point neighborhood in San press). This model also reduces drug related-high risk Francisco, is a gender and culturally relevant DEBI behaviors such as trading sex for drugs and/or money designed to reduce HIV risk factors among sexually and sharing infected syringes, both factors contribactive, drug free, heterosexual, African American Cassandra E. Collins, BSW, is a first year graduate student at the University of Georgia School of Social Work and Associate Director of Recovery Consultants of Adanta, Inc., a federally funded faith-based, peer-led addiction recovery and HIV prevention program. David L. Whiters, MSW, is a fourth year PhD student at the University of Georgia School of Social Work and Executive Director of Recovery Consultants of Atlanta, Inc. Ronald Braithwaite, PhD, is a Professor in the department of Community Health and Preventive Medicine at Morehouse School of Medicine. Address all correspondence to Cassandra E. Collins, 1904 Glenwood Ave., SE, Atlanta, GA 30316; PHONE: (404) 370-0123; FAX (404) 370-1423; E-MAIL: cassandra@recov-