The Healthy Alternatives for Reducing the Risk of HIV Infection - HAARP project targets homeless men and their partners, as well as women at sexual risk and their partners, who may also have multiple diagnoses, including HIV/AIDS, mental illness and/or substance abuse problems for HIV health education/risk reduction and referral for appropriate services. The program comprises a series of five sessions that are offered throughout the year at four community sites in the downtown Los Angeles area of Central City East commonly known as skid row:

• Salvation Army Harbor Light Center
• the Weingart Center Stairs program
• SRO Housing Corporation (single room hotels)

The program provides an individualized behavior change plan for each participant based upon an assessment of his/her readiness to change with respect to HIV prevention behaviors. The plan focuses on setting and meeting small, realistic goals toward behavior change in reducing or extinguishing risk-taking behaviors. In addition, participants receive referral information for HIV counseling and testing services, Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) detection and treatment and tuberculosis testing and therapy. At the conclusion of the program, 10% of the participants are offered a position with the agency to be paid as a peer educator to co-facilitate sessions and provide resources to other residents of the facilities in the downtown area.