Fola Community Action Services Inc

TARGETED CAPACITY EXPANSION-HIV PROGRAM: SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER TREATMENT FOR RACIAL/ETHNIC MINORITY POPULATIONS AT HIGH RISK FOR HIV/AIDS.

THE SUBSTANCE USE AND HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS PREVENTION NAVIGATOR PROGRAM FOR RACIAL/ETHNIC MINORITIES - THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE CHICAGO DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH 2021 HIV PREVALENCE REPORTS INDICATE A 48.2% HIV SEROPREVALENCE AND 27.3% INCREASE IN VH (HEPATITIS) AMONG ILLINOIS COOK COUNTY AFRICAN AMERICANS. THE SAME PREVALENCE REPORTS REVEAL THAT AFRICAN AMERICANS ACCOUNTED FOR OVER HALF OF THE COUNTY'S INDIVIDUALS DIAGNOSED WITH SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS. THE ABOVE REPORT PRESSED FOLA COMMUNITY ACTION SERVICES, INC. (FCAS) TO DESIGN THIS SAMHSA (FY) 2023 PREVENTION NAVIGATOR PROJECT FOR MINORITIES WHOSE RACE IS AFRICAN AMERICAN, WHOSE ETHNICITY IS NEITHER HISPANIC NOR LATINO, WHOSE GENDER IS MALE, WHOSE SEXUAL ORIENTATIONS INCLUDE MEN WHO HAVE SEX WITH MEN (MSM) AND MEN WHO HAVE SEX WITH MEN AND WOMEN (MSMW), AS WELL AS THOSE WHO IDENTIFY AS LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER, QUEER/QUESTIONING AND INTERSEX PERSONS (LGBTQI+), WHOSE PRIMARY LANGUAGE IS ENGLISH, MSM AGES 18 TO 35, MSMW/LGBTQ+ AGES 25 YEARS AND OLDER, WHOSE SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS INCLUDE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE NOT IN STABLE HOUSING, LIVING IN HOUSEHOLDS BELOW FEDERAL POVERTY GUIDELINES; WITH A 14.2% UNEMPLOYMENT RATE, 57% WITH NO HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA, ASSESSED AS AT RISK AND HIGH-RISK FOR HIV/AIDS AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS, RESIDING IN THE GEOGRAPHIC CATCHMENT AREA OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS STATE-COMMUNITIES IDENTIFIED AS HAVING HIGH RATES OF HIV, VIRAL HEPATITIS AND SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS (STIS). FCAS IS REQUESTING $300,000 TO SERVE 75 UNDUPLICATED ELIGIBLE MEMBERS OF THE TARGET POPULATION PER YEAR AND $1,500,000 TO SERVE 375 UNDUPLICATED PARTICIPANTS DURING THE 5-YEAR PROJECT TERM. 60% WILL BE MSM, 30% WILL BE MSMW, AND 10% LGBTQI+. APPROACH: FCAS WILL USE A NAVIGATION APPROACH INVOLVING AFRICAN AMERICAN PEER NAVIGATORS PERCEIVED BY OTHER AFRICAN AMERICAN PEERS AS POSSESSING SHARED IDENTITIES TO PROVIDE: (1) SUBSTANCE USE AND HIV EVIDENCE-BASED AND EVIDENCE-BASED INTERVENTIONS AND STRATEGIES, WHICH INCLUDES COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL TRAUMA-INFORMED SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER (SUD) COUNSELING SERVICES, RISK-BASED/RISK-TARGETED HIV, VIRAL HEPATITIS, AND STI TESTING, CDC-APPROVED EMPOWERMENT, AND 3MV EVIDENCE-BASED HIV BEHAVIORAL GROUP INTERVENTIONS, EFFECTIVE CONDOM USE SKILL TRAINING. PRE-EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS (PREP) AND POST-EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS (PEP) REFERRALS FOR HIGH-RISK NEGATIVES, UTILIZING SAMHSA"S STRATEGIC PREVENTION FRAMEWORK (SPF); AND (2) EXTENSIVE OUTREACH SERVICES TO HIGH-RISK POPULATIONS USING SOCIAL MEDIA AND SOCIAL MARKETING STRATEGIES. THE AIM IS TO REDUCE ILLICIT SUBSTANCE USE, REDUCE AND PREVENT HIV TRANSMISSION , AND IMPROVE THE OVERALL HEALTH OF THE TARGETED POPULATIONS. THE GOALS ARE: (1) REDUCE HIV RISK BEHAVIOR AND REDUCE THE INCIDENCE OF HIV EPIDEMICS AMONG THE TARGET POPULATIONS. (2). INCREASE THE NUMBER OF HIV+ PARTICIPANTS LINKED TO HIV MEDICAL CARE RECEIVING ART. . (3). INCREASE KNOWLEDGE OF CONDOM USE. (4). DECREASE ILLICIT SUBSTANCE USE AMONG THE TARGET POPULATIONS. MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES AND OUTCOMES ARE: BY 09/30/2028: (A) DECREASE FROM 100% TO 50% PROJECT PARTICIPANTS' HIGH-RISK BEHAVIOR AND EPISODES OF UNPROTECTED SEX. (B) INCREASE FROM 45% TO 80% NUMBER OF HIV+ PROJECT PARTICIPANTS LINKED TO HIV CARE RECEIVING ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY (ART) FOR TWELVE CONSECUTIVE MONTHS. (C) ) INCREASE BY 90% THE NUMBER OF PROJECT PARTICIPANTS DEMONSTRATING KNOWLEDGE OF AND CONSISTENT CONDOM USE AND CONDOM NEGOTIATION SKILLS AND ABILITY TO USE CONDOMS CORRECTLY DURING SEXUAL INTIMACIES. (D)INCREASE BY 90% THE NUMBER OF PROJECT PARTICIPANTS REPORTING ABSTINENCE FROM ILLICIT DRUG USE FOR SIX CONSECUTIVE MONTHS IN A YEAR.