Mobile enhanced prevention support for people leaving jail: examining smartphone app integration with peer mentors and contingency management for a population at risk of HIV

The period following community reentry from incarceration is associated with elevated risks of drug overdose, HIV transmission, and other harms. The importance of leveraging mobile technology to facilitate service access has grown with smartphone use. Peer navigation has shown efficacy for individuals at risk of HIV transmission. We conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with 19 individuals assigned male at birth (all who have sex with men) who were participants in a randomized controlled trial to test an intervention combining the three above components. Three peer mentors were also interviewed. Interviews were focused on the app, GeoPass, and structured using the Health Equity Implementation Framework. Interviewees favorability cited GeoPass’s features that facilitate incentive earning and synthesize suggestions from the peer mentors about local service providers, as well as the ability to track progress to completing personalized goals. Participants expressed willingness to use GeoPass beyond the intervention if it continued to be combined with the peer support and incentive system and suggested additional features to facilitate communication with their peers. GeoPass, as an enhancement of peer support, was generally well-received by the sexual and gender minority participants who had experienced recent incarceration. Peers described the app as helping them manage their clients’ progress towards accessing services and earning incentives. The results highlight the crucial role of peer navigators, when combined with mobile technology, to facilitate smoother societal reintegration and address immediate social needs of people upon reentry from incarceration. Keywords: mobile health, peer support, contingency management, incarceration, HIV, substance use disorder