Wednesday, March 12, 2025
3/12/2025
Project Abstract Summary. Project NaviGAte: Connecting Georgia to Substance Use and HIV Prevention” targets two pervasive public health concerns, HIV and substance misuse among at-risk and underserved communities, specifically trauma-exposed racial/ethnic minorities. Project NaviGAte will provide much needed navigation services, develop a public health messaging and awareness campaign, and enhance HIV and substance misuse screening, prevention and treatment among trauma-exposed racial/ethnic minorities in 4 of the 48 federally-designated “hotspots” hardest hit by the HIV epidemic: Cobb, Dekalb, Fulton, and Gwinnett counties in GA. HIV/AIDS remains an epidemic that continues to disproportionately impact African American and Latinx populations. Racial/ethnic minorities experience more traumatic events, and trauma-exposed individuals are at an increased risk of acquiring and transmitting HIV, as well as experiencing an excess burden of detrimental health consequences and disease progression, including substance misuse. Racial/ethnic minorities also underutilize vital prevention and treatment services due to myriad barriers, like stigma concerns and limited access and knowledge about available services. We estimate reaching 117,740 racial/ethnic minorities through Project NaviGAte’s key activities aimed at identifying risk and protective factors and adding navigation services to reduce barriers to substance misuse and HIV prevention and treatment services. These activities include: a community needs assessment in year 1 (n=1690), to improve organizations’ capacity to recruit and retain racial/ethnic minorities in services; implementing navigation, treatment, screening, and testing services (n=800) beginning in year 2, to enhance access to services for racial/ethnic minorities in these counties; and disseminating a public health campaign across the 4 GA “hotspot” counties (n= 115,000) in year 4, to raise awareness about available substance use and HIV services and their benefits. The goals, objectives, and activities focus on cultural competence, sustainability, and evidence-based practices. Goal 1: Establish connections between community partners that treat trauma-exposed racial/ethnic minorities in GA with partners that provide prevention/treatment for HIV and substance misuse. Goal 2: Complete a community needs assessment of risk and protective factors of HIV and substance misuse as well as barriers and facilitators to using evidence-based prevention and treatment. Goal 3: Increase the capacity of partner organizations to provide evidence-based HIV and substance misuse prevention and develop a community partnership-based implementation plan. Goal 4: Implement a public messaging campaign for racial/ethnic minorities. Goal 5: Implement opportunities for screening and testing for HIV and viral hepatitis for racial/ethnic minorities in counties highly impacted by HIV and provide navigation services to link individuals to care for HIV and substance misuse where indicated. In sum, Project NaviGAte will connect existing organizations, increase capacity and public awareness, and provide opportunities for HIV/STI testing and substance misuse screening for trauma exposed racial/ethnic minorities in Georgia.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).