Behavioral and Social Science Volunteer (BSSV) Program

Recruiting BSSVs

Are you a professional with years of HIV/AIDS experience? Would you like to volunteer your time to assist local HIV prevention organizations build their capacity and improve the services they provide? If so, volunteering with the BSSV program may be just the right experience for you. 

What Is a BSSV?

Behavioral and Social Science Volunteers (BSSVs) are dedicated professionals who are involved in their local community's HIV prevention efforts. Since the inception of the program in 1996, the BSSV Program has recruited, trained and mobilized a network of almost 300 behavioral and social science volunteers (BSSVs) to assist HIV prevention efforts within their communities. BSSVs come from a variety of backgrounds, including anthropology, psychology, sociology, social work and public health. The common theme among all our BSSVs is that they are experienced in working with community based organizations and are willing to offer voluntary assistance to improve local efforts. We currently have BSSVs across the nation, including Guam and Puerto Rico.

Our BSSVs receive high quality, intensive trainings in all the areas for which we are funded by the CDC to provide capacity building assistance (CBA), including:

• Program evaluation and monitoring.

• Needs assessment.

• Planning and implementing evidence-based interventions (EBIs).

• Adapting EBIs for new settings and populations.

• Using cognitive and behavioral approaches in HIV prevention.

• Responding to mental health aspects of HIV prevention and care.

It is our goal that each BSSV receives enough training and that they are capable of tailoring CBA to the needs and strengths of each community-based organization.

What Is Capacity Building and How do I Offer Assistance?

"Capacity Building" generally refers to a process of increasing the skills, infrastructure and resources of individuals, organizations and communities.  It is a key strategy for the promotion, delivery and sustainability of HIV prevention programs, and therefore the primary objective for BSSVs.

Our BSSVs are matched with local community-based organizations who have requested assistance. Depending on the organizational needs, as well as the skills and expertise areas of our BSSVs, our staff will work hard to match organizations with those BSSVs who can provide optimal CBA. BSSVs volunteer their time to offer assistance and guidance to CBOs throughout the CBA request. During this time, our staff is also available to assist and offer further resources to the BSSVs if necessary.

Why Should I Become a BSSV?

• An opportunity to give back to your community.

• An opportunity to share your expertise.

• Free training (some offering CEUs). 

• Chance to network with other professionals in your field or with similar interests.

• Exposure to the latest DEBIs and EBIs.

Join us today

How Do I Become a BSSV?

Step 1: Decide if you are willing to commit to offering local community-based organizations free capacity building assistance.

Step 2:  Submit your resume or curriculum vitae via email 

Step 3: We will contact you to set up a brief interview to learn more about you and ensure you have the experience necessary to provide capacity building assistance

How Can I Learn More About the BSSV Program?

If you would like more information on the BSSV Program, please email or call us at (202) 218-3993.

Access our BSSV E-Newsletters:

• Spring 2013 (PDF, 1.8MB)

You can also visit the CDC's Capacity Building Assistance Portal for HIV Prevention website. This site provides CBA and HIV prevention information. This site also answers common questions about capacity building resources.

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Disclaimer: This site contains HIV prevention messages that may not be appropriate for all audiences. If you are not seeking such information or may be offended by such materials, please exit this website.

For CBOs

Fact Sheet Series

• Why Evaluate? (PDF, 100KB)

• Why Evaluate, Part 2: Evaluating a Program Based On Theory and Evidence (PDF, 260KB)

• Program Evaluation, Part 1: Program Planning (PDF, 147KB)

• Program Evaluation, Part 2: Evaluation Plan (PDF, 195KB)

• Program Evaluation, Part 3: Conducting a Program Evaluation: Data Sources and Methods (PDF, 230KB )

• Addressing Mental Health Issues to Improve HIV Prevention Intervention Outcomes (PDF, 1.2MB)

• Shifting Gears (PDF, 288KB)

• Cognitive and Behavioral Approaches to HIV Prevention (PDF, 106KB)

• Adherence, Part 1: Medication Adherence in People Living with HIV (PDF, 124KB)

Peer-to-Peer Series

• Implementation of CLEAR

• Working with Transgender Clients

• HIV and Older Adults

As our main focus, the BSSV Program is here to serve the CBO community with the highest quality of HIV prevention services possible. We offer free professional consultations and CBA. For an added bonus, the BSSV Program offers webinars and trainings geared towards assisting CBOs in enhancing their HIV prevention services.

What is capacity building and what is capacity building assistance?

According to the CDC, "capacity building" generally refers to a process to increase the skills, infrastructure and resources of individuals, organizations and communities. Capacity building is a key strategy for the promotion, delivery and sustainability of HIV prevention programs. As a result of capacity building on HIV prevention programs, your program(s) will:

1. Operate optimally and

2. increase their capacity to effectively deliver evidence-based interventions and core public health strategies for HIV prevention.

Capacity building assistance (CBA) provision is free (not for a fee) and is made available through a variety of methods including: training, technical assistance (TA) and technology transfer to individuals, organizations and communities. CBA is provided directly to communities, community–based organizations and health departments, CBA providers and CBA consumers are also available. CBA services do not include the direct delivery of HIV prevention services, but may include ongoing mentorship.

How can the BSSV Program offer CBA to my organization for free?

The Behavioral and Social Science Volunteer (BSSV) Program is currently funded by the CDC to provide CBA to community-based organizations across the nation (and in U.S. territories) in order to improve the delivery and effectiveness of HIV prevention services for high-risk and/or racial/ethnic minority populations.

Since the inception of the program in 1996, the BSSV Program has recruited, trained and mobilized a network of almost 300 volunteers around the nation to assist HIV prevention efforts within their communities. Our staff, along with our ever expanding network of volunteer anthropologists, psychologists, sociologists, social workers and public health professionals are ready and eager to get involved and develop long lasting community partnerships with you.

What Kind of CBOs are eligible for free CBA from the BSSV Program?

The BSSV Program is funded to provide CBA to CBOs across the nation (and in U.S. territories) that offer HIV Prevention Services. CBOs eligible to receive CBA must be either receiving funding directly by the CDC, or indirectly (through their local health department).

Why should I specifically request CBA from the BSSV Program?

The BSSV Program's collaborative approach is inspired by our passion about the impact HIV/AIDS-related programs have on the lives of the communities directly and indirectly affected. Our BSSV staff, along with our volunteers, have experience tailoring our capacity building assistance to the needs and strengths of each community-based organization.

The BSSV Program offers assistance in the following areas:

• Program evaluation and monitoring.

• Needs assessments.

• Planning and implementing evidenced-based interventions (EBIs).

• Adapting EBIs for new settings and populations.

• Using cognitive and behavioral approaches in HIV Prevention.

• Responding to the mental health aspects of HIV prevention and care.

Which EBIs do the BSSV Program currently provide technical assistance with?

The six EBIs the BSSV Program is currently providing technical assistance with are:

• CLEAR

• Community Promise

• Healthy Relationships

• SISTA

• NIA

• Many Men Many Voices (3MV)

Learn more about EBIs.

What are the steps I need to take to receive free CBA?

Step 1: Think about the type of CBA your organization needs.

Step 2:  Submit your request for CBA to the CDC.

Where can I go for more information on the CDC's CBA program for HIV prevention?

Visit the Capacity Building Assistance Portal for HIV Prevention website. This site provides CBA and HIV prevention information. Learn about capacity building and how to request technical assistance and training to support your HIV prevention activities. This site also answers common questions about capacity building resources and provides general HIV prevention information.

How can I learn more about the BSSV program?

If you would like to know more about how the BSSV Program, please email or call us at (202) 218-3993.

Access our CBO E-Newsletters:

• April 2013 (PDF, 384KB)

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Disclaimer: This site contains HIV prevention messages that may not be appropriate for all audiences. If you are not seeking such information or may be offended by such materials, please exit this website.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why was the BSSV Program created?

• External reviews of CDC's HIV prevention community planning process recommended greater emphasis on science-based decision making.
• Local capacity for HIV prevention is enhanced and continuity of effort is promoted when technical assistance is offered on an ongoing basis by experts who live and work in the community.
• Behavioral and social scientists with critical expertise want to become more involved with HIV prevention efforts in their communities.

What exactly does the BSSV Program do?

• Recruits qualified behavioral and social science volunteers (BSSVs). 
• Orients BSSVs to work effectively with HIV prevention planners and implementers.
• Links BSSVs to those who desire technical assistance.

Who are the BSSVs?

• Psychologists, sociologists, anthropologists and public health experts who know the science of HIV prevention and how to apply it.
• Dedicated professionals who want to be part of their local community's HIV prevention efforts.
• Scientists who are experienced in working with CBOs and Health Departments.

What can BSSVs offer CBOs?

Assistance with:

• Program evaluation and monitoring.
• Needs assessments.
• Planning and implementing evidence-based interventions (EBIs).
• Adapting EBIs for new settings and populations.
• Using cognitive and behavioral approaches in HIV prevention.
• Responding to the mental health aspects of HIV prevention and care.

What do BSSV Program staff do?

• Clarify the specific needs of the agency requesting assistance. 
• Identify one of the 200+ BSSVs in our national network to respond to the technical assistance request. 
• Link the BSSV with the requesting agency. 
• Provide the BSSV with resources and tools to do the job. 
• Network with other national agencies and technical assistance providers. 
• Evaluate the usefulness of the linkage from the perspective of the volunteer and the agency.

Where can I get more information?

BSSV Program 
American Psychological Association 
750 First St. NE 
Washington, D.C., 20002-4242 
Phone: (202) 218-3993 
Fax: (202) 336-6198
Email BSSV

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Disclaimer: This site contains HIV prevention messages that may not be appropriate for all audiences. If you are not seeking such information or may be offended by such materials, please exit this website.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) and HIV/AIDS

• HIV Health Reform is a project that provides tailored information on ACA for people living with HIV/AIDS and their providers.

• CDC's The Affordable Care Act Helps People Living With HIV/AIDS.

• HRSA's Ryan White and the Affordable Care Act: What You Need to Know.

• The National Association for State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD) Health Reform Watch is an online newsletter that provides information about state and federal health reform efforts and how they might affect people living with HIV/AIDS.

• The Kaiser Family Foundation Health Reform Source offers reader-friendly information for both employers and consumers about health care reform.

• Resources and educational materials, like fact sheets, brochures, presentations, etc. on the ACA created by HealthCare.gov.

HIV Integrated Care

Integration of mental health care, substance abuse care and HIV/AIDS prevention care
This site provides a resource center for current research, valid and reliable mental health and substance abuse screening instruments, integration best practices and fact sheets regarding the integration of mental health care, substance abuse care and HIV prevention care.

SISTA

SISTA Resource Guide for Adapting SISTA for Latinas (PDF, 4MB)
This guide was created to provide practical technical assistance and resources to staff of community-based organizations who want to use the Sisters Informing Sisters about Topics on AIDS (SISTA) intervention with Latina populations.

 

Developing an Evaluation Plan

As one of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) funded capacity building assistance (CBA) providers, the Behavioral and Social Science Volunteer (BSSV) Program is tasked with providing CBA to community-based organizations (CBOs) across the U.S. and U.S. Territories. One of the most common requests for assistance involves the development of program evaluation plans. As evaluation plans are often an integral component of funding applications, we have compiled a list of resources that offer specific and applicable guidance on this topic. While this list is not exhaustive, the resources included here include manuals, workbooks and interactive online guides for developing an effective evaluation plan.

The BSSV Program is available to provide you with free CBA should you need more resources or information on developing your program evaluation plan. For more information on how to request free CBA please visit the "For CBOs" tab of this BSSV website. 

• Developing an Effective Evaluation Plan (PDF, 2.46MB) 
  Created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC’s) Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) and Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity (DNPAO). Developed for use by program managers and evaluators, this guide offers guidance on a wide range of health promotion program evaluation topics including evaluation plan development.

• Evaluation Guide (PDF, 168KB) 
  Provided by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Although originally intended for use in the evaluation of heart disease and stroke prevention activities, the basic principles of program evaluation and planning are applicable to all disease prevention/health promotion programs. 

• Evaluating Your Community Based Program (Part One [PDF, 1.15MB] and Part Two [PDF, 1.64MB])
  A guide developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Healthy Tomorrows Partnership for Children Program and focuses on issues unique to community based health promotion programs. It is a two-part guide structured in a workbook format and includes case studies to demonstrate the application of evaluation concepts. 

• Evaluation Plan Workbook (PDF, 978KB) 
  Developed by the Innovation Network, this evaluation plan tool is part of a larger program evaluation series. This online guide features interactive tools meant to offer step-by-step instruction through the evaluation planning process and even saves your work so you return to it at a later time.

• CDC Program Evaluation Resources
  The CDC offers an extensive list of program planning and evaluation resources that include step-by-step manuals on logic models, data collection and analysis, and evaluation of specific interventions.
  

HIV-Specific Resources

• CDC HIV/AIDS fact sheets

• Kaiser Permanente state health facts

• Center for AIDS Prevention Studies (CAPS)

• National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD)

• National Association of People Living with AIDS (NAPWA)

• The Positive Project: HIV Positive Stories for the Greater Good

• Effective HIV Interventions

E-Newsletters

The BSSV Program will feature upcoming E-News highlights of program activities, new resources, CDC updates, news from the field and other exciting information.

• BSSV E-Newsletters
• CBO E-Newsletters

Fact Sheet Series

• Program Evaluation, Part 1: Program Planning (PDF, 147KB)
  Fundamental steps to planning your health program that are essential to quality implementation and evaluation.

• Program Evaluation, Part 2: Evaluation Plan (PDF, 195KB)
  A step-by-step guide to creating a comprehensive evaluation plan for your health program.

• Why Evaluate? (PDF, 100KB)
  Common myths about program evaluation, and how staff can benefit from these efforts to improve their work and better serve communities. 
  

Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Series

Healthy Relationships
The Peer-to-Peer Mentoring Initiative is a unique mentoring plan that includes online training courses, face-to-face trainings, exchange webinar sessions and more.

Additional Resources

• Resource Center for Prevention with Persons Living with HIV

• Addressing Mental Health Issues to Improve HIV Prevention Intervention Outcomes (PDF, 1.21MB)
  Mental health problems can pose a particular challenge to the effectiveness of HIV prevention interventions. This document outlines ways in which mental health problems can affect the outcome of HIV prevention interventions and how agencies can better address the mental health needs of consumers seeking HIV prevention services.

• Behavioral & Social Science Volunteer Program: Translating HIV prevention science into culturally relevant practice (PDF, 388KB)
  Information about the BSSV Program, staff and volunteers, program benefits and how we can help.   

• Quick facts about the Behavioral & Social Science Volunteer (BSSV) Program (PDF, 81KB) 
  How BSSVs can help CBOs and the benefits BSSV Program volunteers receive.

• CDC Capacity Building Site
  The CDC’s capacity building site with a description of what is CBA, who provides CBA, how to request CBA and CBA trainings offered. It also has information about the DEBIs and other resources relevant to HIV prevention.

• AIDS.gov
  This is the federal government’s main HIV/AIDS resource page. It includes information about HIV/AIDS basics, has federal government resources and the most up to date HIV/AIDS information.

• The Research Assistant
  The Research Assistant is a comprehensive source of tips, tools and information to navigate the world of behavioral science research, from formulating your question to getting your proposal funded.

• Project Ideas: Ideas for a healthier community has created a toolkit titled, HIV Prevention Toolkit: Tools to assist your organization to implement and improve HIV prevention programs in your community. This kit was created in order to share information that could benefit your department or organization in implementing and improving HIV prevention services and other programs.

• UNAIDS HIV Prevention Toolkit
  This online HIV Prevention Toolkit was developed for managers at the national and subnational levels who are managing/implementing HIV prevention programs/projects and are in the process of intensifying their HIV prevention efforts.

• The ADAPTT-ITT Model is a Novel Method of Adapting Evidence-Based HIV Interventions offers a framework for adapting HIV-related EBIs. It consists of eight sequential phases that inform HIV prevention providers and researchers of a prescriptive method for adapting EBIs.

  Original research, The ADAPT-ITT Model: A Novel Method of Adapting Evidence-Based HIV Preventions.

• CDC’s Procedural Guidance for Community Based Organizations (2009) (PDF, 2MB) will help you design prevention programs and recruitment strategies to promote counseling and testing, health education and risk reduction, and other prevention services.

• The Capacity Building Branch of the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention at CDC

• Interventions designed for HIV/AIDS prevention under the DEBI (Diffusion of Effective Behavioral Interventions) project

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Disclaimer: This site contains HIV prevention messages that may not be appropriate for all audiences. If you are not seeking such information or may be offended by such materials, please exit this website.

HIV Integrated Care Trainings

Mental health issues and substance use delays HIV testing and negatively affects HIV treatment adherence and treatment outcomes. HIV infection can also increase the risk for mental health conditions and substance use, making it even more difficult to engage and retain those most in need of services.

These two- or three-day trainings increase participants' proficiency in developing sustainable partnerships with their HIV clients with co-occurring disorders in order to:

• More effectively link them to needed services.

• Assist them in engaging in and staying in care.

• Effectively motivate adherence to treatment regimens.

• Assist program administrators in developing user-friendly service systems that minimize stigma.

Who should participate

Program managers, case managers, clinicians, mental health providers and other key CBO staff. A minimum of 18 attendees participating in the full training is required. For additional information please contact Danielle Pope.

Calendar of Events

Training Events Calendar (TEC) is a web-based registration system for trainings and workshops which allows users to:

• Search/view CDC-sponsored trainings and workshops.
• Register for CDC-sponsored trainings and workshops.
• Submit trainings and workshops for posting (CDC partner agencies only).
• Search/view CDC partner agency trainings and workshops.
• Connect to selected partner agency registration sites.

Training in Puerto Rico

 

Francisco J. Parga, PhD, and David Pérez-Jiménez, PhD, assisted with the delivery of a two-day training for community-based organizations in two Puerto Rico locations, San Juan and Mayagüez, on Cognitive Behavioral Approaches and Theories Used In HIV Prevention Efforts. (PDF, 140KB)

• Biography of Francisco Javier Parga, PhD (PDF, 45.33KB) 

• Biography of David Pérez-Jiménez, PhD

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Disclaimer: This site contains HIV prevention messages that may not be appropriate for all audiences. If you are not seeking such information or may be offended by such materials, please exit this website.