Building the capacity of HIV peer educators to be part of the health care team

The PEER Center team presented this seminar at the US conference on AIDS, Sept. 18 – 21, 2008 in Miami Beach, FL. In this 3-hour seminar, trainers, including a former peer advocate, demonstrated how to build peer skills on adherence to HIV treatment, peer counseling, and navigating the health care system. Peer trainees discussed their experience and impact of participation in the session. Training developers reflected on the successes and challenges encountered in their training programs and their strategies for sustaining the program in their areas. The panel concluded with a presentation of methodology and results from a multisite evaluation exploring the impact of the peer training on participant’s knowledge and skills.