The BRIDGES Project: Bridging Resources to Engage Women in Integrated HIV Care and Support Services

The BRIDGES Project intervention is culturally-tailored intervention for syndemic-affected cis- and transgender women living with HIV/AIDS (WLHA) that aims to: 1) build skills to cope with syndemic-related affective distress, 2) facilitate linkages to both HIV treatment and relevant ancillary service providers (e.g., domestic violence, mental health, substance use), and 3) teach women interpersonal skills to activate social support networks (e.g., service providers, friends, family) when faced with new or ongoing barriers. Participants in the The BRIDGES Project are estimated to demonstrate improvements in HIV care outcomes (i.e., linkage to HIV care, self-efficacy in ART adherence, retention in HIV care) and syndemic-support outcomes (i.e., coping skills, activated social support networks, linkage to and receipt of ancillary support services) compared to HIV-infected women assigned to standard of care (self-guided access and use of Ryan White case management).

Inclusion criteria

• 18 years of age or older
• Identify as female, including cis-gender female or transgender female
• Living with HIV/AIDS
• Ability to speak and understand English
• Self-report one or more syndemic factor(s) [lifetime history of or current: trauma, physical violence and/or sexual violence, PTSD symptoms, substance use, adverse mental health]
• identification as one of the following: out-of-care or unstable in care, newly diagnosed, never in care, or linked to care but have fallen out of care]