SOCIAL SUPPORT FOR THE HIV+ CLIENT: A COMPARISON OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TRADITIONAL VERSUS VOLUNTEER CASE MANAGEMENT INTERVENTION

This longitudinal repeated measures study was designed to evaluate and compare the ffectiveness of volunteer support versus traditional case management for those with HIV in improving level of independent functioning. A non-random sample of one hundred and fifty-three clients (eighty-two in professional, seventy-one in the volunteer program) participated in the study. Evaluative tools utilized included a Checklist of Needs and Level of Independent Functioning Scale (LIF).It was predicted that volunteer case managers would be more effective than professionals in improving the independent functioning of clients with HIV and mental health/drug and alcohol problems. It was also predicted that volunteers would be more effective than professionals in assisting clients with obtaining a greater percentage of outside needs (needs provided by other agencies and defined as more critical in increasing independence).Multivariate analyses of data collected were used to test for relationships between two case management interventions (independent variables), time spent with clients (mediator) and two outcome (dependent) variables, level of independent functioning and percentage of outside needs met .Results supported the prediction that clients of volunteers improved their level of independent functioning and had more outside needs met than clients in the professional group.Path analyses revealed that increased time spent by volunteers (total time, number of contacts) partially mediated improvement in level of independent functioning. Face to face time, the most intense form of time, appeared to fully mediate the relationship between independent and dependent variables. However, the time variables did not mediate the relationship between type of intervention and outside needs met.Recommendations were made for agencies to consider utilizing volunteers in a professional capacity. Also, the evaluative tools developed for this study may be useful to demonstrate outcomes to support lobbying efforts for increased funding. Future research could focus on further refining the LIF scale.