There are six HIV prevention programs for homeless youth whose efficacy has been or is currently being evaluated: STRIVE,
the Community Reinforcement Approach, Strengths-Based Case Management, Ecologically-Based Family Therapy, Street Smart, and
AESOP (street outreach access to resources). Programs vary in their underlying framework and theoretical models for understanding
homelessness. All programs presume that the youths’ families lack the ability to support their adolescent child. Some programs
deemphasize family involvement while others focus on rebuilding connections among family members. The programs either normalize
current family conflicts or, alternatively, provide education about the importance of parental monitoring. All programs aim
to reduce HIV-related sexual and drug use acts. A coping skills approach is common across programs: Problem-solving skills
are specifically addressed in four of the six programs; alternatively, parents in other programs are encouraged to contingently
reward their children. Each program also engineers ongoing social support for the families and the youth, either by providing
access to needed resources or by substituting a new, supportive relationship for the existing family caretaker. All of the
interventions provide access to health and mental health services as basic program resources. A comparison of HIV prevention
programs for homeless youth identifies the robust components of each and suggests which programs providers may choose to replicate.
Keywords HIV prevention programs - Homeless youth - Comparison - Components