Perception Programs Inc

EASTERN CONNECTICUT PREVENTION NAVIGATOR PROJECT - PERCEPTION PROGRAMS, INC. (PPI) AND ITS REGIONAL PROJECT PARTNERS PROPOSE TO STRENGTHEN THE CAPACITY TO IMPLEMENT, SUSTAIN AND IMPROVE EFFECTIVE SUBSTANCE MISUSE AND HIV PREVENTION SERVICES FOR RACIAL/ETHNIC MINORITY YOUTH, AGES 13-24 IN WINDHAM, NEW LONDON AND TOLLAND COUNTIES IN EASTERN CONNECTICUT. PPI, LOCATED IN WILLIMANTIC IN WINDHAM COUNTY, IS AT THE CENTER OF THE GEOGRAPHIC CATCHMENT AREA, WHICH IS LARGELY RURAL AND SEMI-RURAL. WILLIMANTIC GAINED NATIONAL ATTENTION IN 2002 BY BEING CALLED “HEROIN TOWN” AFTER BEING FEATURED IN THE HARTFORD COURANT AND THEN LATER ON “60 MINUTES,” WHERE DAN RATHER CALLED IT A “DRUG-INFESTED SMALL TOWN.” THE THREE COUNTIES HAVE A COMBINED POPULATION OF 530,2017. THE EASTERN CONNECTICUT GEOGRAPHIC AREA FOR THE PROPOSED PROJECT IS THE REGION IN THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT WITH THE LEAST INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ADDRESSING SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND HIV PREVENTION/TREATMENT FOR ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS IN THE 13-24 AGE RANGE. ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE, YOUNG PEOPLE ARE AT RISK FOR HIV INFECTION. APPROXIMATELY 9,800 PEOPLE AGED 13–24 WERE DIAGNOSED WITH HIV IN 2010, REPRESENTING 20 PERCENT OF NEWLY DIAGNOSED CASES, WITH THE HIGHEST RATE OCCURRING AMONG THOSE AGED 20–24. PARTICULAR HIV RISK BEHAVIORS WITHIN THIS AGE GROUP INCLUDE SEXUAL EXPERIMENTATION AND DRUG ABUSE, WHICH ARE OFTEN INFLUENCED BY STRONG PEER GROUP RELATIONSHIPS. COMPOUNDING THIS VULNERABILITY IS “GENERATIONAL FORGETTING”: STUDIES SHOW THAT TODAY’S YOUTH MAY BE LESS LIKELY TO PERCEIVE THE DANGERS ASSOCIATED WITH HIV THAN ARE OLDER AMERICANS, WHO WITNESSED A HIGHER AIDS MORTALITY RATE ASSOCIATED WITH THE RAPID PROGRESSION FROM HIV TO AIDS IN THE EARLY YEARS OF THE EPIDEMIC. ACCORDING TO THE MOST RECENT DATA REPORTED BY THE CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH HIV SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM, OF THE 281 NEWLY DIAGNOSED CASES OF HIV IN 2017, 71.9% WERE RACIAL/ETHNIC MINORITIES. ONE THIRD OF NEW CASES WERE DIAGNOSED IN INDIVIDUALS 29 YEARS OLD OR YOUNGER. 71.9% WERE MALE, 40.2% WERE AFRICAN AMERICANS, 29.2% WERE HISPANIC/LATINO AND 2.5% WERE OTHER/MULTIPLE RACES. PROJECT GOALS INCLUDE: 1. INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF REGIONAL SERVICE PROVIDERS TO REDUCE HIGH-RISK BEHAVIORS OF ADOLESCENTS AGES 13-18 AND YOUNG ADULTS AGES 18-24 THAT MAY CONTRIBUTE TO SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND/OR HIV/AIDS. 2. DECREASE YOUTH SUBSTANCE USE AND HIGH-RISK BEHAVIORS IN THE COMMUNITY BY IMPLEMENTING EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAMS WITHIN THE REGION THAT ADDRESS BEHAVIORS THAT MAY LEAD TO THE INITIATION OF SUBSTANCE USE. A TOTAL OF 10,610 YOUTH IN THE REGION WILL BE REACHED THROUGH SUBSTANCE ABUSE/HIV PREVENTION EDUCATION, PREVENTION INTERVENTIONS (STREET SMART, MPOWERMENT AND THINK TWICE), HIV/VIRAL HEPATITIS TESTING, AND LINKAGE TO CARE. PROVIDERS WILL ALSO BE TRAINED ON THE ASSOCIATION OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND HIV RISK. TRAINING FOR HEALTHCARE AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT PROVIDERS WILL FOCUS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF SCREENING FOR HIV AND ASSURING THAT CLINICAL CARE NEEDS ARE MET IF AN INDIVIDUAL IS DETERMINED TO BE INFECTED WITH HIV. STAFFING FOR THE PROJECT WILL INCLUDE A PROJECT DIRECTOR, A LEAD NAVIGATOR, PEER SUPPORT SPECIALISTS (4 COLLEGE INTERNS AND A PUBLIC ALLY (AMERICORPS MEMBER) IN ADDITION TO A CONTRACTUAL EVALUATOR AND A CONTRACTUAL MEDIA FIRM. PROJECT ACTIVITIES INCLUDE PARTNERING WITH REGIONAL AGENCIES, PUBLIC MESSAGING AND AWARENESS, EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES, EDUCATION AND NAVIGATION SERVICES, HIV/VIRAL HEPATITIS TESTING, AND EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR PROVIDERS. EVALUATION ACTIVITIES WILL TRACK ACHIEVEMENT OF PROJECT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES AS WELL AS PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION.