Victory Programs Inc

PURPOSE: USING A HOUSING FIRST APPROACH, THE BSSHA PROJECT WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE PERMANENT SUPPORTED HOUSING (PSH) THROUGHOUT THE GREATER BOSTON, NORTH SHORE, AND SOUTH SHORE REGIONS; ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: TENANT-BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE, SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, AND HOUSING INFORMATION SERVICES; EXPECTED OUTCOMES: TENANT-BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE- 15 HOUSEHOLDS, SUPPORTIVE SERVICES- 15 HOUSEHOLDS AND HOUSING INFORMATION SERVICES- 12 HOUSEHOLDS; INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: THE INTENDED BENEFICIARIES OF THE BSSHA PROJECT ARE HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS (AND IF APPLICABLE, THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS), THROUGHOUT THE GREATER BOSTON, NORTH SHORE AND SOUTH SHORE COMMUNITIES; SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES: FATHER BILLS & MAINSPRING- TENANT-BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE- 8 HOUSEHOLDS, SUPPORTIVE SERVICES- 8 HOUSEHOLDS

HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PERSONS WITH AIDS

HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PERSONS WITH AIDS

VICTORY PROGRAMS HARM REDUCTION PROGRAM - VICTORY PROGRAMS, A BOSTON-AREA NONPROFIT SERVING 3,800 HOMELESS OR PRECARIOUSLY HOUSED INDIVIDUALS IN CRISIS WITH HOUSING, HEALTH, PREVENTION, AND RECOVERY PROGRAMS, IS LAUNCHING THE VICTORY CONNECTOR, A LOW-THRESHOLD DROP-IN CENTER DESIGNED TO PROVIDE EVIDENCE-BASED HARM REDUCTION SERVICES AND SUPPORTS TO BOSTON’S SERVICE-RESISTANT, STREET-BASED HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS AT GREAT RISK FOR OPIOID OVERDOSE AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE ACQUISITION. THE VICTORY CONNECTOR EXPANDS UPON FIVE YEARS OF EFFORTS BY THE AGENCY’S MOBILE PREVENTION TEAM BY CREATING A BRICK AND MORTAR SITE TO IMPLEMENT PERSON-CENTERED, COORDINATED INTERVENTIONS THAT ARE BASED IN RESEARCH AND RESPOND TO THE URGENT NEEDS OF INDIVIDUALS AT HIGH RISK. THIS SITE WILL BE LOCATED IN THE AREA SURROUNDING THE INTERSECTION OF MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE AND MELNEA CASS BLVD., OFTEN REFERRED TO AS MASS. AND CASS, WHICH, SINCE 2014, HAS BEEN A MAGNET FOR A GROWING HOMELESS POPULATION AND THE EPICENTER OF BOSTON’S OPIOID EPIDEMIC. UTILIZING A WIDE ARRAY OF EVIDENCE-BASED HARM REDUCTION SERVICES AND SUPPORTS, THE VICTORY CONNECTOR WILL SERVE APPROXIMATELY 400 UNDUPLICATED INDIVIDUALS IN YEAR 1 (GROWING TO 500 IN YEAR 2 AND 600 IN YEAR 3). WITH THE OVERARCHING GOAL OF SUPPORTING AND STABILIZING INDIVIDUALS TO IMPROVE THEIR HEALTH AND, ULTIMATELY, EXIT STREET LIFE, THE PROJECT WILL ENGAGE PEOPLE OVER THE LONG TERM TO ENSURE ACCESS TO RECOVERY AND TREATMENT SUPPORT; ACHIEVEMENT OF OBJECTIVES ON A PERSONALIZED PLAN, AND; ACCESS TO LIFE-SAVING SUPPLIES AND SUPPORT SERVICES. PRIORITY POPULATIONS WHICH FACE SIGNIFICANT HEALTH DISPARITIES WILL BE RACIAL MINORITIES, AND LGBTQ+ INDIVIDUALS. DATA GATHERED IN SEPTEMBER 2021 SPECIFICALLY FOR THE HOMELESS POPULATION AT MASS. AND CASS REFLECT THE FOLLOWING DEMOGRAPHICS THAT ARE PARTICULARLY PERTINENT TO OUR APPLICATION FOR FUNDING: - 39% ARE HISPANIC/LATINO, 36% ARE WHITE, 19% ARE BLACK, AND 6% ARE MULTIRACIAL; - 49% LACK A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER; 78% DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO A MENTAL HEALTH CARE PROVIDER, BUT A MAJORITY WANT ACCESS TO ONE. - 87% USE COCAINE OR CRACK COCAINE, 76% USE OPIATES, AND 20% METHAMPHETAMINES. IN ADDITION TO BASIC NEEDS (E.G. BATHROOMS, PERSONAL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT, HYDRATION), THIS PROGRAM WILL PROVIDE SAMHSA AND CDC SUPPORTED EVIDENCE-BASED HARM REDUCTION INTERVENTIONS INCLUDING COMPREHENSIVE SYRINGE SERVICES, DISTRIBUTION OF NALOXONE, SUBSTANCE TEST KITS, AND SAFER SEX SUPPLIES, REFERRAL TO MEDICATION ASSISTED TREATMENT AND MEDICATION FOR OPIOID USE DISORDER, AND INDIVIDUAL GROUP PEER SUPPORT SERVICES. THE VICTORY CONNECTOR WILL ALSO OFFER CASE MANAGEMENT AND NAVIGATION SERVICES, INCLUDING BOTH BASIC AND COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT; INDIVIDUALIZED SERVICE PLANNING; AND REFERRAL TO NEEDED SERVICES (E.G., URGENT, EMERGENT AND PRIMARY MEDICAL CARE; MENTAL HEALTH CARE; SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT AND RECOVERY SUPPORT SERVICES; BENEFITS; HOUSING SERVICES; DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SERVICES; LEGAL SERVICES, ETC.). IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING OVER 1,500 SERVICE ENCOUNTERS OVER THREE YEARS, WE ESTIMATE 1,200 REFERRALS TO SERVICES AND 900 LINKAGES TO SERVICES OVER THE COURSE OF SAMHSA’S GRANT PERIOD. JUST A FEW OF THE MEASUREABLE OUTCOMES INCLUDE: 25% OF INDIVIDUALS ENTERING THE CONNECTOR WILL RECEIVE INTEGRATED TESTING AND 100% OF THESE INDIVIDUALS WILL RECEIVE A COMPREHENSIVE RISK ASSESSMENT; 100% OF INDIVIDUALS ENGAGED IN SYRINGE SERVICES WILL BE EDUCATED IN SUBSTANCE USE RISK REDUCTION STRATEGIES; 75% OF PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH NALOXONE AND EDUCATED IN ITS USE, AND; 25% WILL PARTICIPATE IN INDIVIDUAL AND/OR GROUP PEER SUPPORT SERVICES.

PREVENTION NAVIGATOR EXPANSION INITIATIVE OF VICTORY PROGRAMS' BOSTON LIVING CENTER - VICTORY PROGRAMS IS PROPOSING TO EXPAND THE POPULATIONS SERVED BY OUR BOSTON LIVING CENTER TO PROVIDE SUBSTANCE MISUSE, HIV/HEPATITIS PREVENTION EDUCATION, AND MENTAL HEALTH PROMOTION FOR RACIAL/ETHNIC MINORITY MALES AND TRANSGENDER INDIVIDUALS AT RISK FOR HIV/AIDS AND VIRAL HEPATITIS. THE GOAL OF THE PROGRAM IS TO REDUCE SUBSTANCE MISUSE, HIV AND VIRAL HEPATITIS INFECTION, AND SUBSEQUENT MORTALITY AMONG THIS POPULATION. VPI’S BOSTON LIVING CENTER (BLC)), WHICH HAS PROVIDED SERVICES TO PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) SINCE 1984, MERGED WITH VICTORY PROGRAMS IN 2012. THE BLC’S PRIMARY SERVICE ELEMENTS INCLUDE: 1) MEALS, NUTRITIONAL COUNSELING, NUTRITIONAL PRESENTATIONS, AND COOKING CLASSES; 2) AN ARRAY OF PSYCHOSOCIAL AND PREVENTION/ WORKSHOPS AND 1:1 CONSULTATIONS, INCLUDING PEER SUPPORT SERVICES AND HEALTH EDUCATION/RISK REDUCTION, AND 3) SOCIAL AND WELLNESS ACTIVITIES. ALL SERVICES ARE PROVIDED IN A LOW-THRESHOLD, WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT. VPI IS REQUESTING FUNDING UNDER NOFO # SP-22-002 (PREVENTION NAVIGATOR) TO EXPAND THE BLC’S SERVICE POPULATION BEYOND ONLY PLWHA, AND SERVE THIS NOFO’S POPULATION OF FOCUS—RACIAL/ETHNIC MINORITY MALES WHO HAVE SEX WITH OTHER MALES (MSM), TRANSGENDER INDIVIDUALS, AND THOSE WHO IDENTIFY AS LGBTQ+ IN UNSTABLE HOUSING AND IN HIGH HIV-INCIDENCE COMMUNITIES. THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO PROVIDE SUBSTANCE MISUSE AND HIV/HEPATITIS PREVENTION EDUCATION AND MENTAL HEALTH PROMOTION TO THE POPULATION OF FOCUS TO IDENTIFY RISK, REDUCE INFECTIONS AND INCREASE PROTECTIVE FACTORS THAT SUPPORT HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. KEY PROJECT PERSONNEL WILL ENSURE THE MOST EFFECTIVE INTERVENTIONS ARE PROVIDED BY INTEGRATING SAMHSA’S STRATEGIC PREVENTION FRAMEWORK’S FIVE STEPS OF ASSESSMENT, CAPACITY BUILDING, PLANNING, IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION. PROJECT ACTIVITIES WILL INCLUDE: - PROVIDING SUBSTANCE MISUSE AND HIV/HEPATITIS PREVENTION EDUCATION, AS WELL AS MENTAL HEALTH PROMOTION, UTILIZING EVIDENCE-BASED OR INFORMED PRACTICES, SUCH AS THE CDC’S VOICES/VOCES FOR MSM, MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING AND TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE, ETC. - CONDUCTING HIV AND VIRAL HEPATITIS TESTING FOR OUR FOCUS POPULATIONS VIA VPI’S MOBILE PREVENTION TEAM; - REFERRING THOSE WHO TEST POSITIVE FOR HIV AND VIRAL HEPATITIS TO LONG-TIME REFERRAL TREATMENT CLINICS AND PROVIDERS, SUCH AS THE BOSTON HEALTHCARE FOR THE HOMELESS PROGRAM AND THE LEMUEL SHATTUCK HOSPITAL. - NAVIGATING CLIENTS TO ADDITIONAL SERVICES ADDRESSING SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH (E.G. HOUSING SUPPORT, MEDICAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, LEGAL, VOCATIONAL, FOOD ACCESS AND NUTRITION). - A COMPREHENSIVE SOCIAL MEDIA AWARENESS CAMPAIGN REGARDING SUBSTANCE MISUSE AND THE RISKS FOR HIV AND VIRAL HEPATITIS, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF SEEKING TESTING AND NAVIGATION TO TREATMENT OR PREVENTION SERVICES. AS NEW BLC MEMBERS, CLIENTS WILL ALSO HAVE ACCESS TO THE CENTER’S WIDE ARRAY OF MEALS AND NUTRITIONAL SERVICES, PEER SUPPORT AND HEALTH EDUCATION/RISK REDUCTION WORKSHOPS AND COUNSELING, AND WELLNESS AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES. THE PROJECT WILL ACCESS CLIENTS FROM THE POPULATION OF FOCUS THROUGH OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT WITH PERMANENT AND TRANSITIONAL HOUSING PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, THE BOSTON PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION’S ENGAGEMENT CENTER, MEDICAL PROVIDERS, HOUSES OF CORRECTION, TRANS-IDENTIFIED SERVICE PROVIDERS, ETC. WE ANTICIPATE SERVING BETWEEN 40-75 UNDUPLICATED INDIVIDUALS EACH YEAR FOR A TOTAL OF 325 UNDUPLICATED INDIVIDUALS OVER THE PROJECT’S 5-YEAR SPAN. OTHER OBJECTIVES INCLUDE: SUCCESSFULLY INTEGRATING THE PREVENTION FRAMEWORK PRINCIPLES INTO THE PROGRAM; OFFERING 100% OF CLIENTS WITH INTEGRATED TESTING; 85% OF THOSE WHO PARTICIPATE IN EVIDENCE-BASED WORKSHOPS WILL REPORT A KNOWLEDGE GAIN IN POST WORKSHOP SURVEYS, AND; 100% OF THOSE SERVED WILL BE OFFERED SAFER SEX AND OTHER HARM REDUCTION SUPPLIES.

HSNG OPPRTNTY PERSONS WITH AID

HSNG OPPRTNTY PERSONS WITH AID