Sunday, April 27, 2025
4/27/2025
Quality Improvement Fund - Justice Involved - A Health Affairs brief reports “Rates of mental health problems, substance use disorders, lifetime suicide attempts, opioid use, and pain medication dependence are dramatically elevated for justice-involved populations compared with the general population. Reentering citizens experience higher rates of overdose, suicide, disabilities and physical disorders, homelessness, and death … also have disproportionate rates of HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, and sexually transmitted infections.” Georgia surpasses other U.S. states for HIV incidence among adults (23.6 new cases/100,000 population). In its most populous county, Fulton County, the incidence rate is more than twice as high at 48.9/100,000, yet Fulton County jail no longer tests inmates for HIV, and does not provide Medication Assisted Treatment (except for pregnant women). Southside Medical Centers 13 locations in Fulton, DeKalb, Clayton, Gwinnett, Spalding and Butts Counties are well placed to serve a majority of those reentering the community from jail via a comprehensive medical home. Through a partnership with Dr. Anne Spalding’s team from Emory our Justice Involved Transitions for Health plan based on her work in expanding health opportunities for incarcerated persons through testing for HIV and Hepatitis C, early detection of TB and completion of TB treatment, management of sexually transmitted infections, and evidence-based strength-based case management and peer navigation to keep people living with HIV virally suppressed and to provide Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis medications to prevent those at risk for HIV from seroconverting to HIV+ status through utilization of our existing Ryan White Part A services and PrEP program, as well as provide treatment for chronic and acute illnesses. Our planned project will provide pre-release case management services to 100 persons incarcerated within at least county jail to eliminate health and social services gaps; including arranging for release of medical records to Southside; arranging post-release appointments to a clinic accessible from where the formerly incarcerated will reside; providing case managers and coordinators/navigators to assist in linking released persons with social services, such as SNAP benefits, job training, nutritional guidance and other Social Determinants of Health supports according to their need and a third party payor enrollment coordinator to assist them in enrolling in Medicaid, Medicare or marketplace health insurance and pharmaceutical assistance plans (PAPs) for which they may be eligible; working with residential treatment facilities such as Breakthru House and Hope House when these persons need residential recovery services; providing transportation assistance for clinic visits and assistance with the cost of labs and medications if they do not qualify for PAPs. Request $500,000 per year; total $1,000,000 for 2 years.
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).