This special issue presents results of a multisite, multiyear national demonstration project designed to test the effectiveness of integrating street outreach programs aimed at preventing HIV infection with referral to substance abuse treatment for populations that historically have been difficult to reach (Author/SLD)

An outreach and linkage program for the homeless mentally ill documented successful outcomes in terms of housing but not in terms of functioning for the 163 participants. Recruitment source, client functioning cluster type, and hours of service received were predictors of the four-month residential setting. (SLD)

Factors associated with completing a follow-up interview in an AIDS outreach/intervention project targeting out-of-treatment crack smokers were studied through 409 baseline interviews and 288 follow-up interviews. The study demonstrates that access to hard-to-reach subjects for follow-up is possible. Methods to enhance follow-up rates are…

This pretest/posttest study used two samples of injecting drug users (184 from street outreach and 103 from a methadone program) to assess drug use and human immunodeficiency virus risk practices. The improvement in risk behaviors at posttest suggests that intervention programs were agents of change. (SLD)

The validity of self-reported drug use as a measure of behavioral change for evaluation of drug use prevention and human immunovirus risk reduction programs was examined, using responses of 154 subjects. Results suggest that self-reports of drug use are accurate enough for measuring risk behavior change in program participants. (SLD)

The six articles of this special section focus on HIV/AIDS outreach efforts with: (1) African-American drug users; (2) homeless substance abusers; (3) women at high risk; (4) Latinos at high risk; and (5) African Americans at high risk. All the programs were part of a federally funded outreach effort aimed at HIV/AIDS prevention. (SLD)