Abstract #290  -  Rollout of Botswana-baylor children’s clinical centre of excellence (COE) teen club satellites: implementation and needs assessment
Authors:   Presenting Author:   Mr. Edward Pettitt - Botswana-Baylor Children's Clinical Centre of Excellence
Additional Authors:
Aim: The Botswana-Baylor COE has established 3 satellite Teen Clubs in Francistown, Molepolole and Mochudi. From November 2008 to January 2009, we conducted a needs assessment with staff members and volunteers at each satellite. By expanding Teen Club to outreach areas with community partners, we are able to build the capacity of Botswana’s civil society to address adolescent HIV. The objectives of the needs assessment were to determine the individual and programmatic strengths and weaknesses of our community partners in order to guide future capacity building.
Method / Issue: At each satellite site, we partner with a local NGO and healthcare provider to refer teens and implement events. A detailed memorandum of understanding outlines the responsibilities of each partner. The needs assessment was conducted through a written survey completed by staff members and adult volunteers.
Results / Comments: Our 3 satellite Teen Clubs have a combined enrollment of 85 teens and 30 adult volunteers (2.8:1 teen:adult ratio). The average age of participants is 14.7 years (range: 12-19). The female:male gender ratio is 1.24:1. Between September 2008 and February 2009, 19 satellite Teen Club events took place resulting in 6,460 teen participant-hours and 228 adult volunteer-hours at an average cost to the COE of USD$3.90 per teen per event. The needs assessment was completed by 19 out of 30 active adult volunteers (63% response rate). Respondents indicated a strong preference for hands-on, interactive and visual teaching methods (preferred by 93%) as opposed to lectures and written/reading assignments (preferred by 58%). 94.7% reported a non-discriminatory attitude towards HIV-positive people and a preparedness to educate youth about life skills. Respondents self-reported their skill levels as “below average” most often for adolescent counseling (32%), grief and bereavement counseling (21%), and monitoring & evaluation of activities (16%).
Discussion: The rollout of satellite sites has enabled the decentralization of the Botswana-Baylor COE Teen Club program. Based on the site-specific results of the needs assessments, we are developing a tailored life skills curriculum and adult volunteers training program that will enable our partners to provide their adolescents with enhanced psychosocial support, ultimately leading to better clinical and mental health outcomes.
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