 Mission Statement
 Client Demographics
 Presenting Problems
 Dual Identity
 Program Goals & Objectives
 Description of Program
 Program Accomplishments and Outcomes
 BIENESTAR is committed to enhancing the health
and well-being of the Latino community and other
underserved communities impacted by poverty,
HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, mental illness and
issues relating to gender identity and/or sexual
orientation.
 BIENESTAR accomplishes this through
community education, prevention, mobilization,
advocacy and the provision of direct social support
services.
 Provide a safe and substance abuse free
environment
 Reduce and/or eliminate the use of substances
 Reduce high risk sexual behaviors
 Reinforce healthy and effective coping skills to
manage life stressors and triggers of substance
abuse
 Goal for end of year 3: 260
 Currently: 235
 For today’s presentation: 138
Demographics
Age
Category
18 to 24
25 to 29
n (%)
59 (43%)
79 (57%)
Education
Less than 12th grade
12th
Grade/Diploma/GED
More than 12th grade
66 (48%)
40 (29%)
32 (23%)
Living status
Shelter
Street/Outdoors
Housed
Full time
Part time
Unemployed
Other
5 (4%)
7 (5%)
126 (91%)
39 (28%)
38 (28%)
58 (42%)
3 (2%)
Employment
During the past 30 days, did you use any of
following?
Yes
n (%)
Cocaine/Crack
13 (9%)
Marijuana/Hashish
64 (46 %)
Methamphetamines or other
amphetamines
47 (34%)
Inhalants
26 (18%)
During the past 30 days, how many days
have you used any alcohol?
Category
0
1 – 10
11 – 20
21 – 30
Frequency
%
30
68
36
4
22%
49%
26%
3%
In the Past 30 days, not due to your use of
alcohol or drugs, how many days have you …
Average
days
Experienced serious depression
8.25
Experienced serious anxiety or tension
7.83
Experienced trouble understanding, concentrating
or, remembering
4.05
Experienced trouble controlling violent behavior
1.05
Religious &
Cultural
Messages
Substance
Use/Abuse
SelfDestructive
Behaviors
YMSM
of
Color
Internalized
Homophobia
Family
Rejection
Assist clients to:
 Live a healthy and substance-free life
 Repair relationships impacted by substance use
 Process thoughts and feelings related to childhood




and adolescent trauma/abuse
Repair their self-esteem
Address issues related to sexual orientation
Lower their risk for HIV infection if HIV-negative
Engage in HIV medical care and cope with HIV
constructively if HIV-positive
Program Components
 Individual, group and/or family therapy
 Substance abuse counseling
 Substance abuse and 12-step support
groups
 HIV & hepatitis C testing and education
 Weekly substance abuse screening
 Free
 Confidential
 20-weeks of treatment
 Personalized individual treatment plan
 Interdisciplinary team: mental health clinicians,
substance abuse counselors and peer counselors
 Services can be provided at the San Fernando Valley,
East Los Angeles and Hollywood Bienestar offices
 Ages: 18-29 years old
 Target population: Latino men
 Sexual orientation: Gay, bisexual and other men who
have sex with men (MSM)
 Presenting problem: Substance abuse or have cooccurring substance abuse and mental health illness
 Admission into the program is not affected by HIV
serostatus, income level, immigration status or
sobriety.
 Matrix Model adapted for gay men, “Getting
Off”
 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
 Motivational Interviewing
 Goals
 Reduce drug use and high risk sexual behaviors
 Link drug use with high risk behaviors
 Address co-factors for HIV infection and transmission
 Techniques
 Gay-specific Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
 Skill building
 Abstinence promotion
 Intervention
 CBT group sessions
 Support groups
 Urine samples
 Assessment stage: building a therapeutic relationship
between therapist and client; identifying central issues;
forming a treatment plan; determining treatment length
 Cognitive stage: understanding client’s thoughts; discussing
significant past events
 Behavior stage: identifying new patterns of thinking;
applying new patterns of thinking to new behaviors
 Learning stage: identifying techniques to assure that the
changes are permanent
 Express empathy: use of non-judgmental




reflective listening
Develop discrepancy: contrast present
behavior with broader goals
Avoid argumentation: use of soft confrontation
and persuasion
Roll with resistance: involve client in the
process of problem solving
Support self-efficacy: increase client’s
perception of his ability to cope with obstacles
and succeed in change
 3 masters-level clinicians (MSW)
 Clinical supervisor (LCSW)
 Program evaluator (MSW, Ph.D.)
 Masters-level biostatistician (MS)
 Certified substance abuse counselor
 Certified HIV/hepatitis C tester/counselor
 2 outreach workers
 Peer counselor
 Drug use




Marijuana/ hashish
Methamphetamines or other amphetamines use
Inhalants
Any illegal drug use
 Alcohol use
 Any alcohol
 Alcohol to intoxication (5+ drinks in one sitting)
 Mental health




Serious depression
Serious anxiety or tension
Trouble understanding, concentrating or remembering
Trouble controlling violent behavior
During the past 30 days, how
many days have you used
Baseline
6 month
follow-up
Marijuana/hashish
4.97
2.57
Methamphetamines or other
amphetamines
3.90
0.92
Inhalants
1.73
0.30
Any illegal drugs
9.15
3.51
During the past 30 days, how
many days have you used
Baseline
6 month
follow-up
Any alcohol
8.20
3.83
Alcohol to intoxication
(5+ drinks in one sitting)
4.21
2.28
In the Past 30 days, not due to
your use of alcohol or drugs,
how many days have you …
Baseline
6 month
follow-up
Experienced serious depression
8.50
3.10
Experienced serious anxiety or
tension
8.30
2.90
Experienced trouble
understanding, concentrating or
remembering
4.91
1.73
Experienced trouble controlling
violent behavior
1.09
0.33
Acknowledgements:
•
USCA
• SAMHSA, Dr. Ed Craft
• Bienestar Human Services Inc.
• Audience