Thursday, April 10, 2025
4/10/2025
Ryan White Title III HIV Capacity Development and Planning Grants - Empowerment Resource Center submits this grant application for capacity-building support for its Integrated Care Program (ICP Program) under HRSA Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Part C Capacity Development Program (NOFO HRSA-24-062) designed to improve the health and increase the life spans of people living with HIV (PLWH), supporting their progression along the HIV care continuum by integrating behavioral health services into its existing HIV primary care services under the HRSA HIV Care Innovation category. Under this proposal, ERC will update its internal linkage protocols to incorporate a new, evidence-based model linking PLWH to same-day BH service appointments and develop internal workflows, processes, protocols, and policies to minimize the likelihood of losing clients to care. Through the ICP Program, trained and experienced ERC medical and behavioral health providers will work to eliminate existing barriers and increase same-day access to BH services and HIV primary care, treatment, and ART therapy in the ERC clinic, shorten the time to initiate and remain in ART therapy, achieve viral suppression, and improve health outcomes for low-income, uninsured, and underserved PLWH. ERC’s processes, protocols, and workflows to link PLWH to same-day, onsite BH services must now be updated, improving the efficacy of the use of its Greenway EHR system, and the provision of staff training to ensure the continuity of care for PLWH. ERC maintains the human resources and clinical infrastructure to provide both HIV primary care and BH services. ERC behavioral health services and HIV primary care services are co-located in the same facility to ensure easy access and availability of HIV and hepatitis prevention services within a behavioral health care setting. However, clinic staff is often ill-equipped to manage the needs of PLWH who also present with mental health, substance abuse, and or co-occurring disorders. The result is that PLWH who also would benefit from BH services are lost to BH care. This has proven inefficient and almost a disservice to PLWH as opportunities to obtain same-day BH services are lost. Unfortunately, ERC policies and procedures still reflect operating silos between HIV primary care and BH services programs. Capacity-building support for the HRSA-24-062 will help alleviate this problem for PLWA. ? Legal Name: Empowerment Resource Center, Inc. is located at 230 Peachtree Street NW, Suite 1800, Atlanta GA (Fulton County). Former legal name HIV/AIDS Empowerment Resource Center for Young Women, Inc. ? ERC is a not-for-profit, community-based organization with a valid IRS 501(C)(3) status. ? Services will be provided on-site at the ERC Comprehensive Intervention Clinic. ? Tanesha Taylor, BA will serve as the EmpowerLink Program Director. ? Dr. Paul Donnan will serve as the ERC Medical Director. ? Dr. Tanya Cheevers will serve as the psychiatrist, an behavioral health services coordinator. ? Jacqueline Brown is the Chief Executive Officer and will serve as Principle Investigator.
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).