Thursday, November 21, 2024
11/21/2024
Terros Health, located in Phoenix, Arizona, looks forward to continuing to meet specific community needs as they arise through the expansion of services in our Terros Health Portable Clinical Care Pilot Project to serve the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness’s (USICH) ALL INside Initiative Jurisdiction of the Phoenix Metro catchment area. The service focus population is racial and ethnic underserved people experiencing unsheltered homelessness, with a focus on those at high risk of HIV, SUD, or other infectious diseases. The data shows an increasing prevalence of homelessness in the Phoenix metro region. The official “Point-in-Time” count in January 2022 reported by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) shows the number of homeless people in Maricopa County, Arizona (which includes the Phoenix Metro area) surged 35% over the previous two years amid a housing crisis and economic hardship caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Of the 425 people who died of heat-related causes in 2022 in Phoenix, at least 178, or 48% of the total heat related deaths, were experiencing homelessness,. The data also demonstrates disparities which include a significantly larger proportion of the unhoused population identifying as Black (29%) compared to the overall Maricopa County population from the 2020 Decennial Census (6%). From April 2022 to March 2023, there were 20 new people experiencing homelessness for every 10 people finding housing in Maricopa County. Over the three year project period of the grant, we will address health disparities and health equity for those who are disproportionately underserved while offering outreach and case management, comprehensive and connected primary health care, evidence-based substance use disorder and mental health care, harm reduction services, (including Narcan, fentanyl testing strips, safe sex kits and other items) social determinant of health services, and transportation for more than 465 individuals who agree to ongoing, consistent care and treatment. One time services of infectious disease testing, crisis intervention, hydration, nutrition, wound care and other emergent care will be provided to many others near “The Zone,” in other encampments across the city, and in the areas of greatest need (West Phoenix, South Phoenix, Sunnyslope and the area around Sky Harbor Airport). Project goals include: 1) Provide comprehensive healthcare for medically underserved people experiencing unsheltered homelessness through portable clinical care that integrates BH and HIV treatment and prevention services 2) connect participants with SDoH resource needs including stable housing and 3) Provide community-based harm reduction services. Project objectives include 1) engage, at least three new participants each week in ongoing portable clinical care 2) for those participants that we engage in services, 100% will be offered and at minimum 20% will receive infectious disease testing 3) for those participants that we assess and identify with an infectious disease (including HIV/AIDS, STI, viral hepatitis, Mpox, or Tuberculosis), 90% will receive a referral for follow-up treatment 4) engage 75% enrolled participants with housing support through our Terros health case management team/housing specialist 5) beginning during year two, we will connect at minimum 10 participants a month with short- or long-term housing 6) provide 100 individuals each month (and 150 individuals each month beginning in year two) with at least one SDoH resource (which may include food, clothing, personal care items, or housing resources) and 7) provide weekly Narcan education and distribution (which includes safe needle exchange and education – not funded as a part of this grant) to reach at least 10 individuals each month.
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).
