Project Grant H79SP083872

WATTS HEALTHCARE CORPORATION 2023 MINORITY AIDS INITIATIVE - PROJECT SUMMARY: WATTS HEALTHCARE CORPORATION (WHCC), A FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTER, IS APPLYING FOR FUNDING TO ADDRESS HEALTH DISPARITIES AND SERVICE GAPS IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY AMONG AFRICAN AMERICAN AND LATINX, AS WELL AS YOUNG AND OLDER LGBTQ+ ADULTS AT HIGH-RISK FOR SUD AND HIV, VIRAL HEPATITIS, AND/OR OTHER SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS (STIS). WITH ROOTS IN THE HIV/AIDS CRISIS, WHCC HAS ALWAYS EMPHASIZED ENGAGEMENT WITH MARGINALIZED LATINX COMMUNITY MEMBERS, INCLUDING PEOPLE WHO IDENTIFY AS LGBTQ+, ARE HIV POSITIVE OR AT ELEVATED RISK FOR HIV/AIDS, OR WHO HAVE SUD OR CO-OCCURRING MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS AND SUD (COD). THROUGH CULTURALLY SENSITIVE BILINGUAL/BICULTURAL PROGRAMS AND HIGH COMMUNITY VISIBILITY, WHCC WILL LEVERAGE OUR STRONG PRESENCE AND CURRENT PROGRAMS. GEOGRAPHIC CATCHMENT AREA: LOS ANGELES COUNTY, OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. SPECIFICALLY ONE SERVICE PLANNING AREA (SPA) OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY: SOUTH LOS ANGELES (SPA 6), WHERE HIV PREVALENCE AMONG THE POPULATION OF FOCUS REMAINS HIGH. PROJECT NAME: WATTS HEALTHCARE CORPORATION 2023 MINORITY AIDS INITIATIVE. POPULATIONS TO BE SERVED: RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITY POPULATIONS, SPECIFICALLY LATINX YOUNG AND OLDER ADULTS (AGE 18+) WHO ARE AT SUBSTANTIAL RISK FOR HIV INFECTION, VIRAL HEPATITIS, AND OTHER SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS (STIS) AS WELL AS SUD, OR COD. WE PLAN TO EMPHASIZE MEN WHO HAVE SEX WITH MEN (MSM) AND MEN WHO HAVE SEX WITH MEN AND WOMEN (MSMW) AS WELL AS THOSE WHO IDENTIFY AS LGBTQ+. NUMBER TO BE SERVED: YEAR 1: 375; YEAR 2: 500; YEAR 3: 500 YEAR 4: 500; YEAR 5: 500 LIFE OF PROJECT: 2,375. PROJECT STRATEGIES/INTERVENTIONS: WHCC WILL USE A COMBINATION OF SEVERAL EVIDENCE-BASED- INTERVENTIONS, INCLUDING MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING AND PATIENT NAVIGATION. PROJECT GOALS AND MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES: OUR PROJECT GOALS INCLUDE: INCREASE HIV, VIRAL HEPATITIS, AND OTHER STI PREVENTION OUTREACH ACTIVITIES TO MINORITY POPULATIONS, SUCH AS THOSE WHO IDENTIFY AS AFRICAN AMERICAN OR LATINX AND/OR LGBTQ+; INCREASE SUD TREATMENT, INCLUDING HARM REDUCTION SERVICES, FOR THE POPULATION OF FOCUS; INCREASE ACCESS TO HIV AND OTHER STI PREVENTION SERVICES AND SUD TREATMENT FOR THOSE WHO ARE HOMELESS; INCREASE ACCESS TO LINGUISTICALLY AND CULTURALLY COMPETENT HIV AND OTHER STI PREVENTION SERVICES AND SUD TREATMENT FOR THOSE WHO IDENTIFY AS AFRICAN AMERICAN OR LATINX AND/OR LGBTQ+. MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES ARE AS FOLLOWS: (1) EACH YEAR, WE WILL ENGAGE AND CONNECT WITH MEMBERS OF THE TARGET POPULATION ONLINE, BY POSTING FOUR (4) MESSAGES PER MONTH VIA SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS, TO REACH 500 INDIVIDUALS EACH YEAR. (2) EACH YEAR, WE WILL DISTRIBUTE 5,000 PRINTED EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS (PAMPHLETS, BROCHURES, ETC.) AT SIX (6) OR MORE STRATEGIC OUTREACH LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. (3) EACH YEAR, WE WILL PARTICIPATE IN OR HOST THREE (3) EVENT IN THE COMMUNITY WITH OUTREACH TOWARD RAISING AWARENESS OF SERVICES, IN COLLABORATION WITH PROJECT PARTNERS. (4) EACH GRANT YEAR, WE WILL SCREEN 90% OF INDIVIDUALS PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM FOR HIV/HEPATITIS C; OF THOSE WHO SCREEN POSITIVE, 75% WILL ACCEPT A REFERRAL TO OUR PARTNERS FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT. (5) EACH GRANT YEAR, OF THOSE REFERRED TO OUR PARTNERS FOR PREP OR PEP, 60% WILL KEEP THE APPOINTMENT AND FILL THEIR PRESCRIPTION(S). (6) EACH GRANT YEAR, OF THOSE REFERRED TO OUR PARTNERS FOR HARM REDUCTION SUPPLIES/EDUCATION, 60% WILL KEEP THE APPOINTMENT OR UTILIZE THE REFERRED SERVICE. (7) EACH GRANT YEAR, WE WILL SCREEN 85% OF INDIVIDUALS PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM FOR SUBSTANCE ABUSE; OF THESE 50% WILL ACCEPT A REFERRAL FOR SUD TREATMENT.