Wednesday, May 7, 2025
5/7/2025
Family Health Centers, Inc., Prevention Navigator Program - Family Health Centers, Inc. is a federally qualified health center that provides comprehensive primary care integrated with behavioral health and oral health services, vision care 340B pharmacy services, and telehealth services to extend access to care to the medically underserved residents of rural Orangeburg, Bamberg, Calhoun and Upper Dorchester Counties in South Carolina. FHC is a subrecipient of Ryan White Part B funding from the state of SC to provide HIV primary care, including HIV prevention, testing and linkage to care. Substance abuse screening and treatment are provided using the SBIRT model. The service area covers approximately 2,500 square miles, and has a total population of 130,042. The majority of the service area population is African American. Nearly half of area residents live on income below 200% of Federal Poverty Guidelines. Most of the service area ;lies in designated Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs). FHC is the sole source of comprehensive primary care regardless of ability to pay in the service area, and operates seven freestanding health center sites, and six School Based Health Center sites to provide access to care for isolated rural residents. Many area residents are uninformed or misinformed about the risk factors for HIV; the availability of pre-exposure prophylaxis to prevent HIV transmission; or the fact that it is possible to live a healthy life if HIV is detected and treated early. There is strong stigma associated with HIV, especially in rural portions of the state. Many cases of HIV in SC go undetected until the disease has progressed to AIDS. As a result, in spite of advances in prevention and treatment, SC has one of the highest HIV/AIDS incidence and mortality rates in the nation. The state adheres to abstinence only curricula in public schools for issues related to sexual health, thus many youth are ill informed about HIV risk, how substance use can increase that risk, or measures that they can take to reduce their risk if they choose to be sexually active. The population of focus for the Prevention Navigation program will be low income ethnic and minority youth between the ages of 13 and 24. SAMHSA funding will allow FHC to increase staffing to provide prevention education related to HIV and substance abuse to parents. Two rural school districts and the regional Healthy Start Program will coordinate with FHC to implement the SAMHSA Talk They Listen substance abuse prevention campaign for the 2,423 students currently enrolled, as well as their parents. Thirty facilitators will be certified to deliver an evidence based intervention to at least 270 high risk African American families. Outreach and education efforts will result in at least 1,080 referrals to FHC for HIV testing, substance abuse screening and treatment as indicated. At a minimum the program will provide substance abuse and HIV prevention education and services to 4,273 youth and their parents over the five year project period.
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).