Odyssey House Louisiana Hep C Free Program - Odyssey House Louisiana, Inc. (OHL) will implement a comprehensive HCV Elimination Program (HEP C Free) designed to serve individuals at highest risk for Hepatitis C (HCV), including those experiencing homelessness, substance use disorder (SUD), serious mental illness (SMI), and co-occurring conditions. Building upon its existing continuum of care and syndemic public health model, OHL will embed same-day HCV screening, diagnosis, and treatment initiation across all its service settings—including shelters, treatment programs, and primary care—while strengthening outreach, education, and care coordination efforts throughout the community. OHL anticipates reaching 1,000 individuals annually through outreach, training and engagement efforts and to provide same-day HCV screening, testing and treatment initiation to 300 individuals per year, ultimately curing these individuals of HCV. OHL’s outreach and engagement strategy will focus on meeting people where they are, conducting street-level outreach in encampments, parks, shelters, and overdose “hotspot” areas. Through its iPrevent outreach team, OHL will provide onsite rapid HCV/HIV screening, risk assessments, and harm reduction s resource distribution such as naloxone, fentanyl test strips, and safer sex kits. Individuals identified at-risk will receive warm handoffs to same-day appropriate care. In addition, OHL will offer educational trainings for community members and providers on infectious diseases, harm reduction, and stigma reduction, with pre- and post-assessments to evaluate effectiveness. To raise community awareness, OHL will implement social media campaigns focused on substance use, mental health, HCV, HIV, and emerging drug threats. Campaigns such as “HCV Free ME!” will use storytelling to destigmatize testing and promote treatment access. Messaging will be shared across multiple social media platforms with additional physical marketing placed on billboards and public transit locations to reach broader audiences in the New Orleans area. Coalition building will play a central role in the program. OHL will maintain and expand existing partnerships through a shared service directory, facilitate quarterly coalition meetings, and co-hosted outreach event to ensure a coordinated response to overlapping crises such as HCV, homelessness, SUD, and SMI. A central innovation of this program is OHL’s capacity to provide same-day, on-site HCV RNA testing and treatment initiation. Individuals with reactive rapid tests will be transported via Uber Health to one of OHL’s Federally Qualified Health Center (OHCHC) locations for confirmatory testing and same-day prescription of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). OHL’s on-site 340B Pharmacy will dispense DAAs immediately or provide free delivery to clients without transportation or stable housing. Program staff will follow program participants care through Sustained Virologic Response at 12 weeks ensuring cure from the infection. The program will ensure sustained treatment engagement by assigning each participant who tests reactive for HCV to a Case Manager with lived experience. These Case Managers will help clients navigate medical, mental health, and social service systems while providing peer support, advocacy, and individualized care planning. OHL’s case management approach will focus on overcoming systemic barriers such as lack of ID, transportation, or insurance, and maintaining continuous engagement through follow-up, goal-setting, and crisis intervention. Annual public reports will summarize program impact, identify challenges, and share best practices. OHL will also participate in all required SAMHSA learning collaboratives and evaluations throughout the three-year project period. With over 13,500 unduplicated individuals served annually through its continuum of care, OHL is uniquely positioned to make a significant impact on HCV elimination efforts in New Orleans, particularly among marginalized individuals.
