The History of MEPS

Origins and Inspiration

The Mobile Enhanced Prevention Support (MEPS) project emerged from a critical need identified in the field of HIV prevention and public health. Our journey began with the recognition that individuals leaving incarceration, particularly men who have sex with men and transgender women, face disproportionate risks of HIV infection, STIs, and drug overdoses upon reentry to their communities.

Passport to Wellness: The Foundation

The roots of MEPS can be traced back to an earlier initiative called "Passport to Wellness." This precursor study, also sponsored by the California HIV/AIDS Research Program (CHRP), laid the groundwork for our current work. Passport to Wellness demonstrated the potential of targeted interventions for recently incarcerated individuals, showing promising results in improving health outcomes and reducing HIV risk behaviors.

The First MEPS Study

Building on the lessons learned from Passport to Wellness, our team began developing MEPS in 2018. The Mobile Enhanced Prevention Support (MEPS) intervention was designed through two community academic collaborations with funding from the California HIV/AIDS Research Program. It combines evidence-based strategies, including peer mentors, cash incentives, and a mobile application for facilitating access to prevention, testing, treatment, harm reduction, and other services, goal tracking, and receipt of incentives.

Mobile Enhanced Prevention Support (MEPS) Study - Peer/Participant Panel - March 29, 2024

  The Key Study Goals of MEPS Were to:
  
      Increase PrEP engagement and access to HIV, STI, and hepatitis C testing;
    
      To encourage regular screening for HIV, STIs, and hepatitis C;
    
Facilitate finding and remaining in treatment for substance use disorder; and
    
      To reduce recidivism by addressing key risks faced during reentry.

The Geopass App

Empowering MEPS Participants Through Technology

As part of the Mobile Enhanced Prevention Support (MEPS) study, our team developed GeoPass, a custom mobile application designed to support study participants as they navigate their health and reentry journey. It serves as a digital companion for MEPS study participants, combining essential features to help users manage their health, access resources, and stay connected with their support network.

Learn More About the App

MEPS was demonstrated to be effective for increasing PrEP uptake and HIV testing in a randomized-controlled trial that recruited participants from 2019-2022 in Los Angeles County.

Looking to the Future

The current study conducted by the Hub will use implementation science to build on these promising results and study the adaptation and implementation of the MEPS intervention in three high-priority California counties (Alameda, Riverside, TBD). This will reveal how MEPS could be successfully implemented by other types of agencies in different geographic contexts and the types of settings, resources, and implementation strategies that facilitate successful MEPS adoption and implementation elsewhere.

Ultimately, this research will enable tailoring and implementation of MEPS in a range of settings so that it can be used on a broader scale to benefit more people as they re-enter the community from prison or jail.