Thursday, November 21, 2024
11/21/2024
The Oklahoma State University (OSU) Community Wellness Programs (CWP) Community PACT (Prevention, Advocacy, Counseling, and Testing) is designed to provide substance use prevention, substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, HIV, and viral hepatitis prevention and treatment services for racial and ethnic individuals through a coordinated package of evidence-based prevention strategies. Among these strategies are community HIV/STI testing events, substance use disorder screening, referral to treatment, harm reduction services, prevention education and lastly navigation services are established to ensure linkage to services and treatment retention. Community PACT will operate out of a six-county area in the Tulsa Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), to include Payne, Pawnee, Osage, Creek, Okmulgee, and Tulsa Counties and several Native American Nations (Osage, Pawnee, Muscogee Creek, Iowa, Sac & Fox). Within the six-county catchment area, the demographic breakdown for racial and ethnic minorities is: African Americans - 9.3% (86,984), American Indians and Alaska Natives - 8.2% (77,127), Hispanic or Latino - 13% (122,448). The state of Oklahoma has been identified as a priority jurisdiction in accordance to Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. initiative. The proposed six-county area has an HIV incident rate in excess of the state average, particularly among racial/ethnic minority communities, which is why the population of focus for the project will be racial and ethnic minorities aged 17 across the lifespan. There are five primary goals for Community PACT. The first is to enhance the HIV Care Continuum in the catchment area by implementing secondary prevention methods to identify new HIV cases among at risk racial/ethnic minority groups and facilitate linkage to and retention in HIV care. The second is to enhance linkage to and retention in substance use services within the catchment area by implementing secondary prevention methods to identify at risk racial/ethnic minority individuals and refer them to treatment. The third is to increase access to harm reduction education, supplies, and services for at risk racial/ethnic minority individuals. The fourth goal is to increase the capacity of community stakeholders to implement comprehensive community-based substance misuse and HIV prevention education. The fifth goal is to develop and implement culturally competent public messaging and awareness campaigns on the risk of substance misuse among individuals living with HIV and the importance of seeking care and treatment. Each of the five goals is further broken down into SMART objectives which can be individually evaluated. These goals and objectives will be met and evaluated within the five-year timeframe of the project. The total population of the area to be served is 938,581. Furthermore, it is estimated 295,000 of individuals residing in the catchment area are at disparate risk of HIV infection ( Racial and Ethnic Minorities, White Men who have sex with Men, and People who inject drugs). Through both direct and indirect methods, including HIV and sexual health testing, substance use screening and referral to treatment, harm reduction outreach, community education, and mass media campaigns, Community PACT aims to reach at least 20% (59,000) of the at risk population within the catchment area over the five years of the project.
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).
