The Puerto Rican Cultural Center (PRCC) will address the national HIV epidemic by reducing new infections, increasing access to care, and promoting health equity. Through this funding, PRCC will enhance its capacity to increase HIV testing and referrals to Partner Services, link persons with HIV to HIV medical care and ART, provide/refer prevention/essential services for persons with HIV and persons at risk for acquiring HIV, and increase program monitoring and accountability. PRCC’s
PRCC will provide a range of strategies and activities to achieve the project period outcomes, including 2 evidence-based program strategies. PRCC’s Comprehensive HIV Prevention Core Program will consist of the following activities: Diagnose: Targeted HIV Testing for 225 (75%) clients annually, Provide Integrated Screenings for 150 (50%) clients annually, Conduct at least two Large Scale Testing Events; Treat: Linkage to HIV Medical Care for at least 90% of newly diagnosed HIV persons and those not in care through the ARTAS evidence-based intervention, Re-engagement, Partner Services Referral for 100% of newly diagnosed persons, Medication Adherence programming, including Stay Connected; Prevent: Referrals to PrEP and nPEP for 60 (100%)% of clients, TWIST evidence-based intervention, PROMISE evidence-based intervention, Condom Distribution, reaching 240 (80%) persons from the TP annually; Respond: Support for Health Department Cluster Detection and Response Activities. PRCC’s Operational Program will consist of Program Promotion, Outreach, and Recruitment; Community Advisory Board (CAB); and HIV Planning Group (HPG).
The specific service area in which PRCC plans to deliver its program is high-need Chicago neighborhoods, including Humboldt Park, Logan Square, Belmont-Cragin, Hermosa, Uptown, Edgewater and Rogers Park. The service area is disproportionately affected by HIV and is where people with and at greatest risk for HIV reside and frequent. PRCC’s target population for service delivery is transgender (TG) and gender non-conforming persons, with a focus on Blacks/African-Americans; Hispanics/Latinos, ages 30 and older. The agency is targeting this population and service area because rates of HIV/AIDS are among the highest in the city and state.
PRCC will collaborate with other organizations that have an established history of working with and recruiting members of the TP at greatest risk for HIV acquisition or transmission, including Erie Family Health Center, the CORE Center, and CALOR. PRCC will enhance existing and establish new formalized collaborative partnerships, supported by detail specific service agreements, with medical providers and essential support service providers to maximize reach, increase coordination and collaboration, and support the provision of comprehensive HIV prevention services (e.g., retention in care, viral load suppression). PRCC will not formally subcontract with any other agencies for the proposed project.
PRCC expects to achieve the following short-term outcomes. Diagnose: Increased persons who are aware of their HIV status; Increased receipt of integrated screenings. Treat: Increased receipt of HIV medical care and ART among persons with newly diagnosed HIV; Increased receipt of HIV medical care and ART among persons with previously diagnosed HIV, not-in-care; Increased access to Partner Services. Prevent: Increased access to PrEP; Increased availability of condoms.