Community Rightful Center

HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PERSONS WITH AIDS

SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT FOR MINORITIES AT HIGH RISK FOR HIV/AIDS IN BROWARD COUNTY, FL - COMMUNITY RIGHTFUL CENTER INC (CRC) PROPOSES TO (1) PROVIDE HIV, VIRAL HEPATITIS AND SUD/COD SCREENING FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE LIVING WITH OR AT HIGH RISK FOR HIV; (2) PROVIDE ASSESSMENTS FOR SUD/COD AND OUTPATIENT SUBSTANCE ABUSE COUNSELING; (3) PROVIDE MEDICAL CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES TO THOSE WHO TEST POSITIVE; AND (4) LINK THOSE WHO TEST POSITIVE TO HIV MEDICAL TREATMENT AND THOSE WHO TEST NEGATIVE TO PREP TO INDIVIDUALS IN THE BROWARD COUNTY, FLORIDA AREA. CRC WILL DIRECTLY PROVIDE TESTING/SCREENING SERVICES FOR HIV, VIRAL HEPATITIS AND SUD/COD. IT WILL ALSO PROVIDE THE MEDICAL CASE MANAGEMENT AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE SERVICES UTILIZING COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY AND MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING. COMMUNITY PARTNER, CARE RESOURCE, A LOCAL FQHC, HAS COMMITTED TO PROVIDE HIV MEDICAL TREATMENT AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, AS WELL AS OTHER SUPPORT SERVICES TO PROJECT PARTICIPANTS. BROWARD IS ONE OF THE LOCALITIES HARDEST HIT BY THE HIV EPIDEMIC. THE RATE OF NEW DIAGNOSES IS 30.4 PER 100,000, WHICH IS THE 2ND HIGHEST RATE IN THE NATION. AS OF 2019, THERE ARE 20,509 BROWARD RESIDENT LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS. BLACKS HAVE BEEN HEAVILY IMPLACTED BY HIV IN BROWARD. THROUGH THEY ONLY ACCOUNT FOR 28% OF THE POPULATION, THEY ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY REPRESENTED AT 46% OF THE HIV POPULATION. THE CORRELEATION BETWEEN HIV AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE HAS BEEN WELL-DOCUMENTED, AND LIKE WITH HIV, BLACKS AND HISPANICS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE OVERALL NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF DRUG ABUSE MUCH MORE SEVERLY THAN THE GENERAL POPULATION. THE SERVICES PROPOSED BY CRC SEEK TO MITIGATE THE AFFECTS THE HIV AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE BY INCREASING ACCESS TO SCREENING AND TREATMENT WHICH CAN IMPROVE HEALTH OUTCOMES AND REDUCE THE RATE OF HIV TRANSMISSION. WE PROPOSE TO SCREEN 480 PEOPLE IN YEAR 1 AND INCREASE THAT NUMBER BY 5% IN EACH SUBSEQUENT YEAR, FOR A TOTAL OF 2,653 OVER THE 5 YEARS. WE ARE REQUESTING $422,228 PER YEAR OR $2,191,340 OVER THE FIVE YEAR GRANT PERIOD TO CARRYOUT THESE ACTIVITIES.

VA IS PROVIDING FUNDING TO ASSIST WITH THE OPERATIONAL COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES FOR HOMELESS VETERANS.

VA IS PROVIDING PER DIEM FUNDING TO ASSIST WITH THE OPERATIONAL COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH TRANSITIONAL HOUSING BEDS FOR HOMELESS VETERANS.