Project Grant H79SP083868

ST. LOUIS STRONG: PREVENTION NAVIGATOR PROGRAM (PNP) FOR MINORITY FOCUSED SUBSTANCE USE AND HIV - ORGANIZATION: WILLIAMS & ASSOCIATES, INC. ERISE WILLIAMS, JR., MPH, PRESIDENT AND CEO ST. LOUIS, MO. 63115-1700 314-385-1935 (PHONE) 314-385-3011 (FAX) WWW.MINORITYHEALTHSTL.ORG ERISEJR@MINORITYHEALTHSTL.ORG SUMMARY: WITH FUNDING THROUGH SAMHSA'S MINORITY AIDS INITIATIVE: THE SUBSTANCE USE AND HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS PREVENTION NAVIGATOR PROGRAM FOR RACIAL/ETHNIC MINORITIES WILL EXTEND AN EXISTING PROGRAM INITIALLY DEVELOPED WITH CSAT FUNDING INTO A MORE COMPREHENSIVE AND ROBUST NETWORK OF PARTNERS TO INCREASE ENGAGEMENT IN CARE FOR RACIAL AND ETHNIC MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED INDIVIDUALS WITH SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS (SUDS) AND/OR CO-OCCURRING SUDS AND MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS (COD) WHO ARE AT RISK FOR OR LIVING WITH HIV, WITH EMPHASIS ON NAVIGATING SERVICES FOR PERSONS RE-ENTERING THE COMMUNITY FROM INCARCERATION. PROJECT NAME: ST. LOUIS STRONG: PREVENTION NAVIGATOR PROGRAM (PNP) FOR MINORITY FOCUSED SUBSTANCE USE AND HIV. POPULATION(S) TO BE SERVED: THE POPULATION OF FOCUS FOR THIS INITIATIVE IS BLACK/AFRICAN AMERICAN INDIVIDUALS 25 YEARS AND OLDER WITH SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS (SUD) AND/OR CO-OCCURRING DISORDERS (COD) WHO ARE AT HIGH RISK FOR OR LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS, WITH PARTICULAR REGARD TO BLACK MSM/MSM/W RE-ENTERING THE COMMUNITY FROM INCARCERATION. LGBTQA+. STRATEGIES/INTERVENTIONS: THE PROJECT WILL USE THE FOLLOWING EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES: MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING (MI); SELF-MANAGEMENT AND RECOVERY TRAINING (SMART RECOVERY); COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY (CBT); PEER SUPPORT, ; AND THE SAMHSA OPIOID OVERDOSE PREVENTION TOOLKIT. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES: PROVIDE SUBSTANCE USE AND HIV PREVENTION SERVICES TO RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITY POPULATIONS AT HIGH RISK FOR SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS AND HIV INFECTION, WITH REGARD TO FORMERLY INCARCERATED OR RECENTLY RELEASED BLACK MSM AND MSM/W, 25 YEARS AND OLDER. ST. LOUIS STRONG: PREVENTION NAVIGATOR PROGRAM (PNP) FOR MINORITY FOCUSED SUBSTANCE USE AND HIV INITIATIVE OBJECTIVES: 1.NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOUR MONTHS AFTER THE AWARD, CONDUCT 5 FOCUS GROUPS, 5 KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEWS, AND 50 SURVEYS ON ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION, DRUG USE, HIV/AIDS INCIDENCE, AND PREVALENCE RATES AMONG THE FOCUS POPULATION. 2. CAPACITY BUILDING: MOBILIZE AND BUILD CAPACITY TO ADDRESS SU, HIV/AIDS, VIRAL HEPATITIS, AND STI PREVENTION SERVICES BY ESTABLISHING MEMORANDA OF AGREEMENTS (MOAS) WITH 4 KEY PROVIDERS SERVING THE POPULATION OF FOCUS TO COORDINATE SERVICES AND PREVENT THE ONSET OF SU, HIV/AIDS, VIRAL HEPATITIS, AND STI PREVENTION SERVICES AMONG HIGH-RISK RACIAL ETHNIC MINORITY POPULATIONS. WE AIM TO HAVE THESE MOAS ESTABLISHED WITHIN FOUR MONTHS OF RECEIVING FUNDING. 3. STRATEGIC PLAN DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE DATA-DRIVEN STRATEGIC PLAN BASED ON THE RESULTS FROM THE NEEDS ASSESSMENTS THAT IS CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY AGE-APPROPRIATE WITHIN FOUR MONTHS OF THE PROJECT. NUMBER OF PEOPLE TO BE SERVED: THE PROJECT WILL SERVE 289 ANNUALLY, 1,445 THROUGHOUT THE LIFE OF THE PROJECT.