Outreach Programs

CPIU – Community Prevention and Intervention Unit

The Community Prevention and Intervention Unit of the Department of Healthcare Sciences is involved in a wide spectrum of activities to help prevent sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV.

The CPIU is staffed by more than 35 professionals involved in a wide spectrum of activities to help at risk individuals and HIV/AIDS community-based organizations and health departments across the country prevent sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV.

As stated in its Mission Statement, the CPIU staff specializes in partnering with communities to develop and implement effective programs to prevent disease and promote health. CPIU Director Anne Freeman may be reached at 214-645-7305 or anne.freeman@utsouthwestern.edu for more information about the programs offered.

HIV Testing & Risk Reduction Counseling Programs

CPIU staff members provide counseling and HIV testing at a wide variety of community locations, especially drug treatment centers, half-way houses, the county jail, and other community locations, to people at high risk for infection. Individual and small group sessions are available to help people change behaviors that could transmit or cause them to acquire HIV or other STDs. Learn +More

Technology Transfer Team

The Technology Transfer Team provides HIV behavioral intervention training and technical assistance on a number of evidence-based interventions to HIV and STD prevention agencies nationwide. The two- to four-day courses help agencies develop the skills to conduct these behavioral interventions effectively and with the greatest potential for behavior change. Learn More

CPIU Education Workgroup

CPIU collaborates with many local agencies and organizations in efforts to serve at-risk populations in multiple settings, such as individuals within substance use/abuse clinics, homeless shelters, incarcerated/recently released facilities, community college campuses, and monolingual/bilingual populations.

HIV Prevention Toolbox

As part of its education program, CPIU provides an HIV Prevention Toolbox, which includes informational resources for Community-Based Organizations and “frontline personnel” involved in preventing the spread of HIV and sexually transmitted diseases. Learn More

HIV Epidemiology Research and Behavioral Studes (HERBS)

The CPIU also provides training and technical assistance that help health departments across Texas participate in two HIV disease-reporting efforts that collect data on recent infections and drug-resistant new infections. The staff also conducts interviews and abstracts medical records as part of the Medical Monitoring Project. The two- to four-day courses help agencies develop the skills to conduct these behavioral interventions effectively and with the greatest potential for behavior change.

DFW AHEC – Dallas Fort Worth Area Health Education Center

The DFW Area Health Education Center works to improve the health of our communities by developing a quality health work force and helping address unmet health needs. Students and faculty from UT Southwestern play an integral role in many of these activities.

The Health Careers Mentoring Program matches middle school students interested in health care with students from all schools at the university.

Classroom presentations bring exciting perspectives about health careers to area schools.

Camp MED ACADEMY is a two-week summer day camp with learning and hands-on activities for high school students interested in pursuing health professions.

The DFW AHEC’s health literacy programs include the Ventanilla de Salud, an event held at the Mexican Consulate General of Dallas, to provide health education to Spanish-speaking people. The center also participates in many area health fairs, and has taken the lead in facilitating the Binational Health Week Health Fair and Symposium for Health Professionals and Health Profession Students since 2004.

The DFW AHEC also works to expose health profession students to underserved communities by assisting with community-based clinical and community health rotations. You can learn more at DFW-AHEC.

Camp John Marc

From a unique facility in Bosque County, Texas, Camp John Marc creates high-quality, year-round camping experiences for chronically ill and disabled children and their families. The camp works in partnership with health organizations, community volunteers, and pediatric hospitals to develop cooperative programming that meets the special needs of these remarkable children.

Each summer, students in UT Southwestern’s Doctor of Physical Therapy Program join with the Dallas Fire Department to serve as counselors during Camp John Marc’s muscular dystrophy week. During the week, each student provides around-the-clock, individual care to a camper. The PT students practice important rehabilitation skills and gain invaluable insights into the experience of caring full time care for someone with a terminal condition.

In addition to muscular dystrophy, Camp John Marc offers camping experiences for children with asthma, bereavement, blindness, burns, cancer, craniofacial disorders, deafness, gastrointestinal disorders, heart disease, hemophilia, HIV, juvenile arthritis, kidney disease, sickle cell anemia, spina bifida, upper limb differences, and transplants,.

Camp facilities include an eight-acre lake and fishing pier, covered wagon and treehouse-themed camping areas, beach-access pool, arts and crafts building, medical building, athletic field, multi-purpose barn, challenge course, amphitheater, nature trails, riding arena, dining hall, 20 cabins, the Morning Star chapel, and Silo activity building.