Friday, April 4, 2025
4/4/2025
Ryan White Title III HIV Capacity Development and Planning Grants - Project Abstract Title: FY 2023 Part C Capacity Development Funding (HRSA-23-052) Applicant: AIDS Care Group 2304 Edgmont Avenue, Chester, Pennsylvania 19013 Contact: Howell Ira Strauss, DMD; Phone: 610-389-2301; Fax: 610-534-2504 Email: howellstrauss@aidscaregroup.org Web: www.aidscaregroup.org Summary of Project AIDS Care Group, a Ryan White Part C provider since July 1, 1999 will utilize Part C Capacity Development Funds to implement a one-year program of HIV Care Innovation for the purposes of establishing agency-wide long-term capacity for Partner Violence Screening and Counseling. This supportive activity will be developed to improve the identification and the ability to provide on-site or referral services for underserved women living with HIV who have lived with or are currently stressed by the burdens of intimate partner violence (IPV). Understanding the intense stigma related to IPV, the utilization of Capacity Development Funding will be directed to the identification of a distinct designation of services within the Department of Psychology of AIDS Care Group; but more importantly, disseminated to all staff members of the agency. Working from within the agency and among all staff members so that outreach of information and referrals into clinical care for needy patients can be seen as a universal component of care is being defined as an important foundation for IPV programs. Current conditions of community health and economic resources for minority communities have deteriorated significantly starting in March 2020 due to Covid-19; and are still not expected to regain pre-pandemic levels for many months. IPV has been an under-recognized and under-referenced condition in the health histories of many of the patients of AIDS Care Group and may be directly linked to the inability of the agency to move past 90% viral suppression rates among all patients in care. Consequently, for individual and community health, the development of an IPV program that is identifiable and capable of initiating timely referrals into care to women living with HIV/AIDS is essential at this time. The program will be implemented in Delaware County and Berks County, Pennsylvania by staff of AIDS Care Group within their four clinical locations; with collaborations by local health, legal, and social service agencies. Target Population Residing predominately in Delaware County, but accessing care from other surrounding counties of Southeastern Pennsylvania, the targeted population of women living with HIV/AIDS lives among the have-nots in a mix of extremes: rich and poor; durably housed and marginally housed; well-nourished and under-nourished; well-educated and under-educated; securely employed and unemployed; emotionally secure and emotionally and physically violated. If there are measurable health indicators that represents infectious disease, poor access to care, and other negative social determinants of health, then they can be found easily among two of the agency’s targeted county’s largest and poorest cities: City of Chester, Delaware County; and Reading, Berks County. More importantly, regardless of wealth, education, gender, or race, IPV has had an impact on these communities; and this impact is affecting the ability of providers of AIDS services to witness significant improvements in the retention in care and suppressed viral loads among persons in care. Summary of funding : Request is made for $150,000 for the one-year 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).