Migrant Health Center, Western Region, Inc. (herein MHC, Inc.) is a rural FQHC Community Based 330 g)(e)(b) program, SAMHSA, CDC, AIDS UNITED and HAB provider and is Patient Centered Medical Home NCQA certified. The Center began its operation in April 1971, serving Migrant and Seasonal farmworkers and their dependents in two (2) municipalities. In 1986 the program was incorporated as a non-profit organization under the laws of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (PR), with its own Board of Directors, which is currently composed of 13 members representatives of the communities we serve. MHC Inc., serves municipalities in the western, northwestern and southwestern region of PR, with ten (10) clinics strategically located in the municipalities of Mayaguez, San Sebastian, Guanica, Isabela, Lajas, Maricao, Las Marias and Yauco serving over 25,000 patients. MHC, Inc. provides: primary health care, dental, pharmacy, laboratory, family, Internal, Pediatric medicine, OB/GYN, mental health (MH) , nutrition, health education, transportation, outreach, case management, urgency care, among other. The Center is the only health care provider in the region that has expanded its delivery of service providing substance abuse, MH and HIV prevention for YMSM and transgender youth, free primary health and dental services for the homeless, HIV treatment for People Living with HIV/AIDS, Medically Assisted Treatment for people with opioid use disorders and HIV prevention and needle exchange services for Injecting Drug Users (IDU), all under one roof. Our mission is centered on providing high quality, evidence based, comprehensive primary health care service that are accessible to the populations we serve in a sensitive, culturally competent and cost effective manner based on the patient’s needs, regardless of their capacity to pay. According to the Department of Health, sex between MSM is the main mode of HIV transmission among adolescents and adults between the ages of 13 and 34; representing more than 40% of the new HIV diagnoses on the island. The Department of Health reports that 30% of HIV-positive MSM reported having had sex under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Through "Proyecto CARIB", MHC, Inc. is proposing to increase engagement in care for Latino YMSM (18 to 29), MSM (ages 30 years and older) and gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals with substance use disorders (SUD) and/or co-occurring substance use and mental disorders (COD) who are HIV positive that receive HIV services/treatment or are at risk for HIV/AIDS. The Project will deploy the trauma informed care as its Evidence Based Practices. This practice will be supported by other services that our Project will provide such as; linkage to care for target clients with SUD and/or COD treatment needs who are HIV positive or at high risk for HIV, including SUD and/or COD treatment and recovery support services; HIV/AIDS testing and CM services, linkage and provision of HIV care and treatment; Hepatitis testing, vaccination, and referral/linkage for treatment and Case Management; housing support services; and community outreach. Our Project goals and objectives include increasing the number of individuals with SUD/COD who are HIV positive that are on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and linked to HIV care, reducing the impact of behavioral health problems, reducing HIV risk and incidence, reducing trauma related conditions, and increasing access to and retention in treatment for individuals with co-existing behavioral health, HIV, and hepatitis conditions. MHC, Inc. proposes to serve 1,325 (FY1-200, FY2-250, FY3-275, FY4-300 & FY5-300) unduplicated target clients in a yearly basis. Through this proposal, MHC, Inc. is requesting the amount of $500,000 per year in order to engage clients and link them to appropriate community-based behavioral health services/systems including primary HIV care and ART, primary health care, housing and other recovery support services.
