Wednesday, April 24, 2024
4/24/2024
Houston/Harris County, Texas has the highest rate of new HIV infections in Texas at 24.9—more than twice the national average of 11.4. In fact, new diagnoses increased in Houston/Harris County by 8.1% between 2017 and 2018, with 1,211 new diagnoses of HIV reported in 2018. This number is disproportionately represented by men of color who have sex with men (MSM), who make up 88% of new diagnoses. Persons who inject drugs (PWID) and transgender women are also disproportionately affected by HIV. To address health disparities and achieve the highest impact for health outcomes, the population of focus is Young Men Who Have Sex with Men (YMSM) of color between 18-34 years old. Consumers will be tested for HIV, linked to other support and prevention services (i.e., PrEP and nPEP), provided evidence-based interventions, and provided navigation through HIV and ancillary health and behavioral health services. HIV testing is understood to be an entry point to prevention services, regardless of the test result. The Montrose Center is uniquely positioned to reach and serve these populations not only because we are the LGBT center of Houston with an experienced and culturally competent staff, but also because we are a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC). Extensive street and community outreach not only enable us to reach our target populations, but also to facilitate linkage to services for newly diagnosed and out-of-care persons living with HIV (PWH), such as medical care, mental and behavioral health care, housing, and transportation. Because we have been serving this community for over 40 years, the Center staff are trained and experienced in working with high incidence populations (African American and Latinx MSM, transgender persons) and hard to reach populations (homeless, PWID) that other outreach teams are not skilled in reaching. The Montrose Center will serve areas of Houston/Harris County in zip codes that are identified as high priority by the Houston Health Department using a data-driven and client-centered approach. Our plan to diagnose, treat, prevent, and respond to HIV includes targeted HIV testing and integrated screening for STIs; evidence-based interventions (e.g., PROMISE); collaboration with local and state HIV prevention and care services providers; and HIV navigation services for those at risk of HIV (regardless of their test result) and PWH across the continuum—linking consumers to medical care, removing barriers to care, and increasing medical adherence. Built in collaboration with the community, strategies will be tailored to the needs to of the community, in particular PWH and those at highest risk of HIV (YMSM of color). In this way, we will increase HIV testing, reduce HIV/STI transmission, and improve health equity. This funding will enhance and expand our HIV prevention programming to have a greater public health impact by increasing our capacity to target those most at risk of infection. Our goals are to: 1) increase awareness of HIV status and receipt of integrated screenings, 2) link those newly diagnosed and those who have fallen out of care to medical care and ART, 3) increase access to Partner Services, 4) prevent new diagnoses with increased access to PrEP/nPEP and condoms, and 5) increase coordination and collaboration among community, local, and state HIV prevention and care services providers.
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).
