Wednesday, May 28, 2025
5/28/2025
HealthLink: A Substance Abuse and HIV Prevention Navigator Program for Racial/Ethnic Minorities - The AIDS Project of the East Bay (APEB) respectfully submits this funding application for SP-20-001 The Substance Abuse and HIV Prevention Navigator Program for Racial/Ethnic Minorities. APEB's HealthLink will use a community-level navigation approach and will combine evidence-based health promotion intervention and practices, education and awareness public messaging campaigns around substance misuse and HIV, and HIV/HCV testing and linkage services prioritizing black minority populations within Alameda County, with a focus on the following sub-populations within Alameda County: black men who have sex with men and/or women, cisgender black women, and transgender women of color ages 13 and higher. The purpose of HealthLink is to provide training and education around the risks of substance misuse, education on HIV/AIDS, and linkage to care and other supportive services for individuals living with HIV, Hepatitis C (HCV), and/or substance use disorders. Throughout the five-year program, APEB will implement culturally competent and responsive (including implementation of CLAS standards) innovative services and activities that include, 1) partnering schools and justice systems, and other relevant community sectors to implement comprehensive community-based substance misuse and HIV prevention education and awareness events; 2) development and implementation of public messaging and awareness campaigns on the risk of substance misuse among individuals living with and at high risk for HIV; 3) provide testing and outreach around HIV and HCV to the community; 4) scale-up The Wellness Center to increase the capacity of East Oakland to provide navigation services to link individuals to care for HIV, HCV, and substance misuse as needed; and 5) provide education and training to substance use disorder treatment and other healthcare providers on the importance of screening for HIV and increase the capacity to provide quality care to those that may be living with HIV. For this proposal, APEB will implement a combination of three well-known Evidence-Based Service/Practices (EBP's) that, when used in combination or alone have been shown to decrease substance use behaviors and HIV risk in our proposed priority populations. These EBPs Antiretroviral Treatment and Access to Services (ARTAS), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and CLEAR (Choosing Life! Empowerment! Action! Results!). Between program activities and EBPs, APEB plans to reach 750 black men who have sex with men and/or women, 400 cisgender black women, and 200 transgender women of color through comprehensive substance misuse prevention education and HIV risk factor and risk reduction education outreach, as well as, 600 black men who have sex with men and/or women, 300 cisgender black women, and 100 transgender women of color through HIV and HCV testing.
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).