Thursday, November 21, 2024
11/21/2024
With this Application, Apex Community Care, Inc. (DUNS #78-679-8074) is requesting $276,000 per year over a 5-year performance period to implement CDC-RFA-PS21-2102 Comprehensive High-Impact HIV Prevention Programs for Community Based Organizations. The proposed Project is expected to expand and enhance our existing Prevention Program by substantially improving Apex’s capacity to utilize data to identify and address gaps in the HIV Care Continuum, particularly gaps that disproportionately affect minority populations, to design targeted interventions to address those gaps, and to improve client care. Apex Community Care is a nonprofit (501c3) community based organization founded in 1987. The mission of Apex Community Care is to advocate for and provide services to people living with HIV/AIDs, mental health and substance use disorders, their families, and loved ones, and to actively promote education and prevention in the community. Apex has 33 years of experience providing services to the target population. The Project proposed in this Application is intended to compliment and extend the reach of efforts implemented by state and local health departments by providing high-impact HIV prevention programs in order to increase identification of HIV diagnoses, referral for pre-exposure and post-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP & PEP), earlier entry to HIV care, and increased consistency of care. The target population we have chosen to address is Men who have Sex with Men (MSM), with an emphasis on MSM of color, and inclusive of those who are male to female transgender. We will deliver services to this population in the geographic areas of Greater Danbury and Litchfield County. This target population is in keeping with the priority population outlined in to “Connecticut’s Integrated HIV Prevention and Care Plan 2017-2021”, which states: “Reduce new HIV diagnoses by 15% by 2021 in the following groups: men who have sex with men (MSM), and Black/African-American/Latino men and women.” In order to meet the needs of the target population, we plan to hire three new positions to implement the Comprehensive High-Impact HIV Prevention Program. We will hire a full time Latinx Community Program Coordinator, a part time (0.6 FTE) Black Community Program Coordinator, and a full time Prevention Navigator. Both Coordinators will be MSM and/or diagnosed with HIV. The Latinx Program Coordinator and the Prevention Navigator will be bilingual English/Spanish speaking. The Black and Latinx Community Program Coordinators will provide training to all Apex staff members to increase their cultural competency, humility and sensitivity, to assist them to build trust and better engage with the target population. They will expand Apex's outreach to the Black and Latinx MSM communities by partnering with additional organizations and businesses who have contact with these communities such as those who serve Black, Latinx, immigrant and LGBTQ populations, and provide education to these places, when indicated, to decrease stigma of HIV and MSM. The Community Program Coordinators will also develop support groups for Black and Latinx MSM, as well as groups for their support networks. These new positions will work in concert with Apex’s existing Prevention Program and HIV Care Program staff to carry out high-impact HIV prevention strategies, including those to address diagnosis, treatment and prevention. To assist with the data collection, management and evaluation requirements of this funding opportunity, we will partner with RDE Systems to implement e2Prevention, which is a complete, integrated system for the collection, management and analysis of data for HIV Prevention, HIV Testing, and PrEP programs. RDE Systems, maker of the eCOMPAS® and e2® suite of software products, has been serving public health for over thirty years. RDE is focused on their commitment to Ending the HIV Epidemic, and serving those who serve People Living With or at Risk for HIV/AIDS.
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).
