Technology-based Training Tool for an Empirically-Supported Group-Based HIV and STI Prevention Intervention for Juvenile Offenders

This study will comply with the NIH Policy on the Use of sIRB for Multi-Site Research. The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) has been selected to serve as the single IRB of record (sIRB) for the research described in this proposal. Once the PHAT Life Training Tool is complete, Investigators will enroll 6 paraprofessionals to conduct a brief usability test to ensure the tool is working properly. After edits are made based on the feedback from the usability test, 10 paraprofessionals who work with justice-involved youth will pilot test the study materials and protocol to ensure that Investigators are ready for scale in a randomized trial. To meet the proposed study's aims, the research team has commitment from three sites who serve justice-involved youth (see Letters of Support): (a) Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, (b) Cook County Department of Probation and Court Services, and (c) Heartland Alliance. Together, there are about 445 eligible staff across settings. The proposed sample (N=130) represents 29% of eligible participants. Investigators, thus, expect minimal difficulty reaching the proposed sample size. Researchers will present the project at agency staff meetings and invite people to indicate interest. Flyers will be posted in relevant spaces with researcher contact information. Researchers will offer to present information about the project at agency events. Agency staff will distribute recruitment materials to eligible personnel (e.g., probation staff or public health educators) and invite them to contact the researchers. The agency staff will also invite individuals to consent to release their contact information for the research team to contact them directly. The recruitment coordinator will contact interested individuals by phone, email, text, and instant messenger. Recruitment will continue in this manner until enrollment goals are met for each condition.

Once enrolled in the study, participants will be assigned a unique, de-identifiable project ID number, which will be affiliated with their baseline survey, Training Tool, and post-training survey. Research staff will fully explain the study and ask for their consent to participate. Participants will indicate their consent via project webpage just prior to the baseline assessment. Participants will be randomized to condition after completing their baseline measures via Qualtrics. A table will be created based on a computer-generated random numbers list that will be used by research staff to assign condition. Participants will then be provided with their login information and instructions for accessing the PHAT Life Training Tool. For those in the Training Tool Plus Supervision condition, participants will receive individualized supervision and participate in two mock role-plays of PHAT Life activities after completing the training tool. All participants will be sent the post-training assessments via Qualtrics. Finally, participants will be instructed to lead one PHAT Life group where they will audio record sessions 1 and 4 of the PHAT Life curriculum.