| Engage |
- Establish therapeutic alliance and build trust; maximize adolescent's participation in treatment
- Address immediate needs (health, housing, insurance, family, partners)
- Educate about HIV infection: transmission, disease course, and HAART
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| Assess |
- Stage of HIV infection
- Assess mental health and cognitive abilities
- Assess physical ability to take medicines
- Assess support systems and disclosure issues: partners, family, and friends
- Assess readiness to begin medications
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| Readiness |
- Decide with adolescent on regimen integrating clinical needs into lifestyle; show different pills
- Solidify support systems: family and/or treatment buddy
- Practice chosen regimen with surrogate vitamins
- Address adherence barriers discovered in practice run
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| Support |
- Provide ongoing support with frequent clinic visits and phone contact
- Acknowledge and address side effects
- Develop strategies to ensure tolerability and regularity
- Facilitate interactions with other youth taking medications
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