ABSTRACT
This paper describes the outreach component of the New Mexico Border Health Initiative (NMBHI), one of five Special Projects of National Significance funded in 2000 along the United States/Mexico border by the Health Resources and Services Administration. The initial intent of the NMBHI was to utilize the traditional promotor model of natural helpers within the informal support systems in the communities in which they physically live for the purpose of increasing utilization 56of HIV/AIDS prevention services. What evolved instead was more closely aligned with traditional street outreach, whereby peers were utilized to engage and inform potential clients about HIV prevention, provide HIV testing and link HIV-affected persons to medical services. Programmatic elements, implications for practice, and recommendations for program coordinators are presented in the paper. doi:10.1300/J187v05n02_06 [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-HAWORTH. E-mail address: <docdelivery@haworthpress.com> Website: < https://www.HaworthPress.com > © 2006 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.]
