Minority HIV/AIDS Fund: Integrated Behavioral Health and HIV Care (US)

Deadline: 24-Jul-23

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Adminis is seeking applications for the Minority HIV/AIDS Fund: Integrated Behavioral Health and HIV Care for Unsheltered Populations Pilot Project.

The purpose of this program is to pilot an approach to comprehensive healthcare for racial and ethnic medically underserved people experiencing unsheltered homelessness through the delivery of portable clinical care delivered outside that is focused on the integration of behavioral health and HIV treatment and prevention services.

Recipients will be expected to take a syndemic approach to healthcare delivery through utilization of low barrier substance use disorder (SUD) treatment; mental healthcare; HIV and viral hepatitis testing and treatment; HIV prevention including condom, Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) distribution; and harm reduction services.

Funding Information

• Anticipated Total Available Funding: Up to $2,000,000
• Anticipated Award Amount: Up to $666,666 per year
• Length of Project: Up to 3 years.

Required Activities

• Award recipients must use funds to support direct services primarily. This includes the following activities:
  • Provide the following care and services using a portable clinical care approach to people experiencing unsheltered homelessness:
    • Provide basic primary health care services and supplies
    • Low barrier substance use disorder treatment
    • Take a syndemic approach to address infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infections (STI), viral hepatitis, Mpox, and tuberculosis, as appropriate.
    • Harm reduction services
    • Mental healthcare, treatment, and referral
    • Outreach and case management services to address social determinants of health, including housing.
  • Document best practices and lessons learned while implementing integrated care using a portable clinical care approach. Disseminate findings from pilot program.
  • Other Expectations: Promote health equity and inclusion of those who are disproportionately underserved to address health disparities.

Allowable Activities

• Allowable activities are an allowable use of funds but are not required. Allowable activities may include:
  • Training/workforce development including but limited to:
    • Training for staff to provide services for mental health or substance use disorder issues and harm reduction strategies.
    • Provide training in evidence-based practices (EBPs) for service providers, such as medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD), motivational interviewing, intensive case management (ICM), community reinforcement approach (A-CRA), motivational interviewing or peer supports.
  • Develop and implement tobacco cessation programs, activities, and/or strategies.
  • Develop and implement evidence-based contingency management programs to treat stimulant use disorder and concurrent substance use, and to improve retention in care.
  • Incorporate Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U) messaging in communication strategies.
  • Assess the feasibility of implementing a status-neutral approach to HIV service delivery given the goals of your project, population served, and existing funding and resource climate, and, if deemed feasible, to adopt a status-neutral approach to client care. A status neutral approach meets people where they are by offering a “whole person” approach to care by putting the needs of the person ahead of their HIV status. Status neutral service provision is an example of a syndemic approach to public health, weaving together resources from across public health domains.
  • Provide peer support services (e.g., peer-led or peer-supported activities, hiring of staff with lived experience such as peer mentors, peer support specialists,
  • recovery support specialists, and recovery coaches). Peer support specialists have lived experience with any of the following as appropriate:
    • living with HIV/AIDS and taking antiretroviral therapy and are adherent to their treatment or individuals;
    • HIV-negative but have lived experience with HIV prevention methodologies such as taking or have taken PrEP or other HIV risk reduction behaviors;
    • lived experience with hepatitis C treatment and recovery;
    • lived experience with unsheltered homelessness;
    • lived experience with and are in active recovery for SUD, mental health disorders, or co-occurring disorders.
  • Address the intersection between oral and behavioral health by providing dental kits to promote oral health for individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness (i.e., dental kits are limited to items such as toothpaste, toothbrush, dental floss, non-alcohol containing mouthwash).
  • Distribute over-the-counter medications as needed (i.e., antacids, ibuprofen, antibacterial ointments, etc.).
  • Distribute hygiene kits as needed (soap, clean water, clean socks and undergarments, dental kits, antibacterial ointments, feminine hygiene products, bandages, tissues, hand wipes, sunscreen, lotion, etc.).
  • Develop formal partnerships to provide Recovery Support Services (RSS), including peer support services designed to improve access to and retention in care and facilitate long-term recovery.

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible applicants are States and Territories (American Samoa, Guam, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands), including the District of Columbia, political subdivisions of States (i.e. county, city, state), Indian tribes, or tribal organizations (as such terms are defined in section 5304 of title 25), community-based public and private non-profit entities, or programs operated by or in accordance with a contract or award with the Indian Health Service, or other public or private non-profit entities.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.