AccessMatters’ proposed project, “Enhancing Prevention Services for Black and Hispanic/Latino Youth and Young Adults in Philadelphia,” will provide comprehensive education, assessment, intake, referrals, linkages to treatment, and follow-up for substance use and/or HIV care, primarily for Black and Hispanic/Latino youth and young adults aged 13-24, including men who have sex with men (MSM). AccessMatters will serve people who positively screen for substance abuse; use pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) or who are HIV-positive or high-risk negative (HRN) for HIV, including: injection drug users and their partners, men who have sex with men, sex partners of people living with HIV, as well as members of racial/ethnic minorities. AccessMatters will use Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment models, Motivational Interviewing, and Anti-Retroviral Treatment and Access to Services as evidence-based approaches.
AccessMatters will meet the following goals: 1) Increase community members’ awareness of: A) substance use risk for individuals living with HIV; B) HIV risk reduction behaviors; and C) sexually transmitted infections, HIV, viral hepatitis (VH), and substance use screening, testing, and treatment services available at partner organizations, reaching 250,000 unduplicated individuals over the five-year grant period (50,000/year), and distributing 100,000 print materials (20,000/year) to individuals in the community; 2) Reduce substance use among individuals in the target population who are using pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), are HIV-positive, or high-risk negative (HRN) using evidence-based practices, assessing 1,680 unduplicated individuals over the five-year grant period (240 in Y1; 360/year in Y2-5); 3) Increase HIV and VH testing as well as linkages to treatment, retention in care, and viral suppression rates for individuals in the target population in treatment for substance use disorders (SUD), linking 180 unduplicated individuals to HIV testing, treatment, or prevention services and care (20 in Y1; 40/year in Y2-5); 4) Increase assessment of social factors, counseling, referrals, and engagement in treatment for 100% of individuals participating in the project who are HRN/HIV-positive; and 5) Improve capacity for efficient and successful bi-directional referral pathways between substance use treatment and HIV care, convening 20 meetings with partner organizations over the five-year grant period (4/year) to discuss, evaluate, and address partnership effectiveness. Through this project, AccessMatters anticipates a significant increase in engagement in prevention and care for Black and Hispanic/Latino youth and young adults at-risk for or living with HIV or SUD.