Project Grant H79SM086223

FRONTERA HIV AND MENTAL HEALTH EXPANSION PROJECT - SERVING CHILDREN AND ADULTS IN NEED INC. (SCAN) IS PROPOSING TO IMPLEMENT ITS FRONTERA HIV AND MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT EXPANSION PROJECT IN WEBB COUNTY, TEXAS, LOCATED ALONG THE TEXAS-MEXICO BORDER. THE POPULATION OF FOCUS IS HISPANIC FEMALES AND MALES 18 YEARS OF AGE AND OLDER AT HIGH RISK FOR HIV/HEPATITIS INFECTION WHO MEET THE CRITERIA FOR A MENTAL HEALTH DISORDER OR CO-OCCURRING MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS OR CO-OCCURRING SUBSTANCE USE AND MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS (CODS). THE PROJECT WILL PROVIDE BEHAVIORAL CARE TO A TOTAL OF 400 CLIENTS USING EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES OVER THE LIFE OF THE PROJECT (100 PARTICIPANTS PER YEAR). IN ADDITION, A TOTAL OF 800 HIGH-RISK INDIVIDUALS AND THEIR PARTNERS WILL BE TESTED FOR HIV AND HEPATITIS AND LINKED TO APPROPRIATE MEDICAL CARE. THE PROJECT WILL IMPLEMENT THE FOLLOWING EVEIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES (EBPS): ACCEPTANCE AND COMMITMENT THERAPY (ACT), MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING (MI), SEEKING SAFETY, THE COGNITIVE PROCESSING THERAPY FOR PTSD, INTEGRATED DUAL DISORDER TREATMENT AND RESPECT. THESE EBP'S WILL BE PART OF A TRAUMA-INFORMED, HOLISTIC, AND COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO CARE THAT INTEGRATES CASE MANAGEMENT AND PEER RECOVERY SERVICES. THE EBPS WILL ADDRESS THE DIVERSE BEHAVIORAL NEEDS OF THE POPULATION OF FOCUS AND WILL MEET THE POPULATION'S LINGUISTIC AND CULTURAL NEEDS. THESE EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES WILL FOCUS ON ENGAGEMENT, RETENTION, AND MOTIVATION FOR TREATMENT; MENTAL HEALTH; TRAUMATIC STRESS AND SUBSTANCE USE; CO-OCCURRING AND MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS; AND HIV/HEPATITIS PREVENTION. EBPS WILL BE DELIVERED IN A CONTINUUM OF SERVICES THAT INTEGRATES THE PROJECT'S RESOURCES (BEHAVIORAL CARE WITH HIV AND HEPATITIS TESTING, HEPATITIS VACINNATIONS) WITH MEDICAL CARE AND SCAN'S OTHER SERVICES AND THE RESOURCES IN THE COMMUNITY. THE GOALS OF THE PROJECT ARE: 1) PREVENT THE SPREAD OF HIV BY PROVIDING EASILY ACCESSIBLE HIV AND HEPATITIS PREVENTION SERVICES WITHIN A BEHAVIORAL HELATH CARE SETTING. 2) MEET THE HIV PREVENTION, MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT AND TRAUMA NEEDS OF CLIENTS BY PROVIDING CULTURALLY-INFORMED EVIDENCE-BASED TREATMENT FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS OR COD THAT ARE TRAUMA-INFORMED, RECOVERY-ORIENTED, AND CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY CONGRUENT. 3) ENHANCE COMMUNITY AWARENESS ABOUT THE PROJECT BY IMPLEMENTING OUTREACH STRATEGIES THAT EFFECTIVELY TARGET THE POPULATION TO INFORM INDIVIDUALS OF AVAILABLE BEHAVIORAL HELATH SERVICES, HIV AND HEPATITIS PRIMARY CARE, AND PREVENTION SERVICES. 4) MEET THE COMPREHENSIVE NEEDS OF THE CLIENTS BY PROVIDING CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES TO COORDINATE ALL ASPECTS OF CARE, INCLUDING BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, PRIMARY CARE, HIV AND HEPATITIS TREATMENT, OTHER SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, AND TRANSITIONS TO THE COMMUNITY AFTER ANY HOSPITAIZATIONS OR EMERGENCY ROOM VISIT. 5) MAINTAIN MEMORANDUMA OF AGREEMENT WITH PRIMARY HIV TREATMENT AND CARE PROVIDERS TO STRENGTHEN INTEGRATION OF CARE THROUGH CASE MANAGEMENT. 6) FACILITATE RECOVERY, FOSTER PHYSICAL HELATH, AND IMPROVE CLIENTS' LIVES BY DEMONSTRATING POSITIVE OUTCOMES AT DISCHARGE AND 6-MONTHS FOLLOW-UP BASED ON GPRA DATA. 7) COLLECT QUALITY DATA EFFICIENTLY AND CONSISTENTLY TO ENCURE THE BEST POSSIBLE CLINICAL OUTCOMES, TIMELY REPORTING, AND PROGRAM IMPROVEMENT.