Summary. Women Organized to Respond to Life-Threatening Diseases WORLD is proposing a program to provide substance misuse and HIV prevention services to racial/ethnic minority males at risk for HIV/AIDS, including MSM and transgender individuals; WORLD will also focus efforts on persons living in encampments and shelters in Oakland, CA. WORLD will serve 120 unduplicated individuals annually with grant funds and 600 over the entire project period.
Project name. Oakland Prevention Navigator Program
Populations to be served. The populations of focus (POF) will be racial/ethnic minority males at risk for HIV/AIDS, including males who have sex with other males (MSM), transgender individuals, as well as those who identify as LGBTQ+ who are not in stable housing and reside in communities with high incidence rates of HIV; WORLD will also focus efforts on persons living in encampments and shelters. The geographic catchment area where services will be delivered will be Oakland, CA, with a focus on the zip codes of 94609, 94605, and 94603.
Strategies/interventions. Program activities will include: 1) provide substance misuse and HIV and hepatitis prevention education and mental health promotion; 2) educate providers on the importance of screening for HIV and hepatitis; 3) partner with various community sectors to implement comprehensive, community-based substance misuse, HIV, hepatitis, and other prevention strategies; 4) develop and implement social media tools and awareness campaigns for outreach/recruitment; 5) conduct HIV testing, and referrals for viral hepatitis testing for individuals in the community, including testing on-site at WORLD, during outreach events, and through testing events; and 6) provide navigation services to link individuals to care for mental health disorders, substance misuse, HIV, and hepatitis. WORLD will implement the following EBPs: Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT); Motivational Interviewing (MI); and Seeking Safety.
Project goals and measurable objectives. The proposed goal is to provide substance misuse and HIV prevention services to racial/ethnic minority males, transgender individuals, and those who identify as LGBTQ+ at risk for HIV/AIDS. The program’s objectives are to: identify at least 5 agencies in year one and 8 in subsequent years to provide education to on substance misuse and HIV prevention for the POF; begin offering trainings and workshops for at least 5 agencies on the risks of substance and HIV in the; Collaborate with at least 8 community sector partners per year to implement community-based substance misuse, HIV, hepatitis, and other prevention strategies; Conduct targeted outreach and recruitment activities, reaching 1,200 persons per year; Develop social media tools and campaigns to conduct public messaging and awareness campaigns, reaching 1,500 persons per year; Provide referrals to HIV, STD, and HCV testing for 100 persons per year; Provide 12 prevention education community workshops per year for at least 20 program participants per workshop; Provide Seeking Safety evidence based intervention to 25 members of the POF per year; Provide navigation to SUD treatment and recovery support for 75% of program participants screening positive for treatment needs; Provide HIV counseling, testing, and referral services to at least 120 persons from the POF each year, navigating 100% of those who test positive to HIV care services; Provide referrals to HCV screening for at least 75 persons from the POF each year; Provide navigation services to 75% of enrolled clients to link individuals to care for mental health disorders, substance misuse; Conduct screening for mental health, substance abuse disorders, HIV/viral hepatitis risk, and other psychosocial issues; and Provide referrals to 75% of participants to supportive case management, counseling, motivational interviewing, referrals, and linkages to needed services and resources with a warm hand off.