Gang Alternative, Inc. (GA) Prevention Navigator project, Supporting Urban Populations with Prevention Opportunities to Reduce Transmission (SUPPORT), will provide substance abuse (SA) and HIV/Viral Hepatitis (VH) testing and prevention services, and expedite access to medical, behavioral and social services for 1,740 at-risk urban youth/young adults, ages 13-24, living in Broward County’s Lauderdale Lakes community (zip codes 33309, 33311, 33313 and 33319). The county has experienced among the highest rates of new HIV/AIDS cases in the United States and is recognized as one of the localities most severely affected by the HIV epidemic. In the past 10 years, all age groups have seen a slight decrease in HIV cases except ages 20-29, which increased. Black males ages 13-29 represent the highest cases. HIV/AIDS cases in Black adults (ages 13+) is disproportionately impacted to the extent that the percentage of cases exceeds the percentage of the population. The primary population to be served will include Black minority males and females, ages 13-24, of Haitian, African American or Caribbean descent living in the target zone who self-identify as heterosexual, but may also include gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth/young adults as well as men who have sex with men who do not self-identify as gay or bisexual. Most will be bilingual, speaking both English and Creole with some monolingual, speaking only Creole. Youth in this target area are at-risk in several domains with socioeconomic characteristics that include high unemployment, low education levels, poverty, high rates of uninsured, and language barriers that are worse off than the county and state. SUPPORT is designed to provide culturally competent services to those at highest risk for HIV/VH and SA using a navigation approach to expedite services and provide training and education around the risks of substance misuse, education on HIV/AIDS, and the needed linkages to service provision for individuals with HIV utilizing NIDA’s Implementation Guide and key evidence-based interventions (Botvin LifeSkills Training and Hip-Hop 2 Prevent HIV/SA) for strategic direction. The program will be heavily coordinated with school sites, faith-based and community organizations and local colleges to maximize student engagement and outreach. Our project goals will guide implementation and practice: (1) Identify at-risk youth through HIV/VH testing and link them to care using risk-reduction strategies; and (2) Reduce target youths’ at-risk status by providing evidence-based prevention education and utilizing environmental strategies in the community. Measurable objectives include providing HIV/VH testing; providing case management and risk-reduction plans for youth with positive/elevated risk status; providing medical, social and support services and/or referrals; conducting weekly community-based outreach and SA prevention/risk-reduction education; and disseminating environmental strategies which address youth’s at-risk status via community and school-based events. We will serve 282 participants in Year 1, with a projected 15% growth each year in Years 2-5.
