Sunday, February 9, 2025
2/9/2025
Address: 410 Capitol Ave, PO Box 340308, MS# 11 APV, Hartford, CT 06134 Project Director: Mitchell Namias Phone: 860-509-7718 Email: mitchell.namias@ct.gov Website: n/a Funding Requested: $6,165,477 Funding Priority: The applicant is requesting a funding priority because the Part B Base funding has decreased by more than 10% since 2006. Abstract: The State of Connecticut Department of Public Health Ryan White Part B Program (the applicant) is applying for $6,165,477 for the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Part B States/Territories Grant Program. This funding will be used to provide Core Medical and Support Services allowable by the Health Resources and Services Administration HIV/AIDS Bureau. Currently, the applicant has the following allowable Core Medical services funded: Medical Case Management, Outpatient and Ambulatory Health Services, Oral Health Services, and AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP). The applicant has the following allowable Support Services funded: Emergency Financial Assistance, Medical Transportation, Non-Medical Case Management, and Food Bank/Home Delivered Meals. The applicant conducted a Needs Assessment of People Living with HIV that are case managed by the Part B program. There were 418 respondents. Several Ryan White allowable services were identified as needs, including childcare for medical appointments, linguistic services, substance use-outpatient services, and health insurance premium and cost-sharing assistance. The following allowable services were still identified as a need: emergency financial assistance, medical transportation, and food bank/home delivered meals. This supplemental funding is necessary to ensure a comprehensive system of HIV care. The needs identified show that People Living with HIV need childcare to attend medical appointments, do not easily have access to interpreters for medical appointments, and are struggling with mental health and substance use problems. Clients cannot achieve viral sup pression without these services. The current viral suppression rate of Ryan White Part B clients in Connecticut is 80.5%. The state needs to achieve a higher rate of viral suppression to contribute towards the Ending the HIV Epidemic goals. The Ryan White Program, as the payor of last resort, can step in to ensure these services are provided. With this funding, the applicant will work to increase viral suppression rates from 80.5% to 90%. Per the CT DPH Epidemiologic Profile of HIV, there were 10,665 People Living with HIV in Connecticut. Part B provided services to 1,257 clients in 2021. Part B provides services to the rural counties of Litchfield and Windham, as defined by the Connecticut State Office of Rural Health. There is only one Ryan White Part C provider in each of those counties and limited resources. The overall viral suppression rate Part B clients in these counties is lower than the overall Ryan White Part B program, at 73.1% in Litchfield with 1.0 FTE case manager and 75.0% in Windham with 0.75 FTE case manager, largely due to funding constraints. The applicant is requesting funding to provide additional case management and support services in these counties to improve viral suppression to at least 85%. This funding will also be used to provide housing assistance for clients. In the Ryan White Part B Consumer Needs Assessment, 108 clients identified the need for housing support. Stable housing is essential to increasing and maintaining viral load suppression. The Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness reports that there have been between 41-66 totally homeless PLWH per year for the last 5 years. Funding would be used to provide emergency housing for the totally homeless until HOPWA housing can be secured. Funding would also be used to provide other forms of housing assistance such as arrearages and first month’s rent.
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).