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. 2026 Feb 21.
doi: 10.1186/s43058-026-00877-3. Online ahead of print.

Characterizing, protocolizing, and scaling up local adjunctive interventions and implementation strategies to enhance the reach of HIV-prevention and mental health/substance use treatments: a study protocol

Audrey Harkness  1 , Maeleigh Tidd  2 , Susanne Doblecki-Lewis  3 , Jahn Jaramillo  4 , Guillermo Prado  2 , Ruth Soto Malave  5 , Omar Martinez  6 , Nequiel Reyes  4 , Carlos E Rodriguez-Diaz  7 , Souhail Malavé Rivera  8 , Steven Safren  9 , Justin D Smith  10 , Radhika Sundararajan  11 , Nicole Altenberg  2 , Daniel Feaster  4 , Jorge Limia  2 , Rana Saber  12 , Eric W Schrimshaw  6 , Edda Santiago-Rodriguez  7
Affiliations
Free article

Characterizing, protocolizing, and scaling up local adjunctive interventions and implementation strategies to enhance the reach of HIV-prevention and mental health/substance use treatments: a study protocol

Audrey Harkness et al. Implement Sci Commun. .
Free article

Abstract

Background: Latino men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States experience significant HIV disparities, exacerbated by mental health and substance use (MH/SU) concerns. Although evidence-based clinical interventions, such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and MH/SU treatment, can prevent HIV and mitigate MH/SU adverse outcomes, their reach to Latino MSM remain suboptimal. This gap underscores the need for adjunctive interventions and implementation strategies that improve PrEP and MH/SU treatment reach. SOMOS Alianza (San Juan, Orlando, Miami Organizational Strategic Alliance) is a research-practice network spanning three Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) jurisdictions. HIV organizations in SOMOS Alianza leverage their expertise in serving Latino MSM to develop and use adjunctive interventions and implementation strategies to improve PrEP and MH/SU treatment reach within their communities. These locally developed interventions and strategies could be scaled across other HIV organizations to meet U.S. EHE goals.

Methods: In Aim 1, we will characterize and assess the degree to which existing adjunctive interventions and strategies used by local organizations align with the existing evidence base. We will combine Rapid Assessment Procedure-Informed Clinical Ethnography and "reverse" implementation mapping to evaluate these interventions and strategies. In Aim 2, we will apply user-centered design principles to develop an online Dashboard featuring interventions and strategies identified in Aim 1. Finally, in Aim 3 we will assess the Dashboard's usability and impact at the organizational level across EHE jurisdictions. Using baseline and 12-month follow-up assessments, we will evaluate outcomes quantitatively and qualitatively, and results will be used to refine the Dashboard for public use.

Discussion: This study will go beyond traditional research-to-practice models by identifying and scaling up existing adjunctive interventions and implementation strategies, addressing gaps in implementation science and ultimately improving health outcomes for Latino MSM. Expected outcomes include identifying contextually appropriate and feasible approaches to improve PrEP and MH/SU treatment reach to Latino MSM, developing a scalable Dashboard for dissemination, and creating a generalizable model for implementation, and advancing public health goals aligned with EHE priorities.

Keywords: Adjunctive interventions; HIV disparities; Implementation strategies; Latino MSM; Mental health; PrEP; Substance use.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The University of Miami’s Human Subject Research Office determined that this project is not human subject research. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: Justin D. Smith is Associate Editor of Implementation Science.

References

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