Project Grant H79TI086820

FOR ME. FOR YOU. FOR US. - US HELPING US, PEOPLE INTO LIVING, INC. (US HELPING US) SUBMITS THE GRANT APPLICATION ENTITLED, "FOR ME. FOR YOU. FOR US.", IN RESPONSE TO SAMHSA'S MINORITY AIDS INITIATIVE: HIGH RISK POPULATIONS NOFO #TI-23-008 AND SEEKS $500,000 PER YEAR OVER THE FIVE (5) YEAR GRANT PERIOD. US HELPING US OPERATES TWO OFFICE LOCATIONS WITHIN THE WASHINGTON DC METRO AREA AND HAS AN ORGANIZATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE CONTAINING FOUR COMPLEMENTARY DIVISIONS THAT CREATES AN INTEGRATED COMMUNITY-CLINICAL SERVICES APPROACH FOR THE PROVISION OF COMPREHENSIVE, HIV STATUS NEUTRAL SERVICES (SAMHSA LEVEL 5). THE CORE FOUNDATION OF THESE MEDICAL, BEHAVIORAL, AND SOCIAL SERVICES ARE BASED ON ACTIVE AND CONTINUOUS CLIENT ENGAGEMENT AND ARE BUTTRESSED BY US HELPING US' CLIENT-CENTERED CARE COORDINATION TEAM. US HELPING US' CORE ACTIVITIES ARE CULTURALLY RELEVANT AND APPROPRIATE, SPAN THE HIV AND PREP/PEP CONTINUA, AND COMPREHENSIVELY ADDRESS THE INEQUITIES IN HEALTH EXPERIENCED BY BLACK GAY, BISEXUAL, MSM, OTHER SEXUAL AND GENDER MINORITIES (E.G., TRANSGENDER WOMEN), PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS, AND PERSONS WITH SUBSTANCE USE AND MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS. THE POPULATION OF FOCUS TO BE SERVED BY FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ARE BLACK MEN WHO HAVE SEX WITH MEN (MSM) AGES 13 AND ABOVE WITH SUBSTANCE USE AND/OR MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS, WHO ARE LIVING WITH HIV OR ARE VULNERABLE TO HIV, AND WHO LIVE, WORK, WORSHIP, SOCIALIZE, AND AGE IN WASHINGTON DC. US HELPING US WILL UTILIZE THE PEER ASSISTED TREATMENT OF HIV AND SUBSTANCE (PATHS) MODEL AS THE EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE (EBP) FOR THIS FUNDING OPPORTUNITY. THIS APPROACH CLOSELY MIRRORS US HELPING US' CURRENT PEER NAVIGATOR APPROACH. COUPLED WITH THE DOCUMENTED SUCCESS OF THE PATHS MODEL AND US HELPING US' WIDE ARRAY OF EXISTING PROGRAMS AND SERVICES, US HELPING US WILL UTILIZE A DYNAMIC MARKETING AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH STRATEGY ENTITLED "FOR ME. FOR YOU. FOR US.". THE NEW "FOR ME. FOR YOU. FOR US." OUTREACH STRATEGY WILL HIGHLIGHT KNOWING AN INDIVIDUAL'S STATUS (HIV, STI, HEP, SUD, MENTAL HEALTH) AND SUBSEQUENT TREATMENT ADHERENCE AS A PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY TO ONESELF (FOR ME.), A COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY TO THEIR FRIENDS AND SOCIAL NETWORKS (FOR YOU.), AND AS A COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY TO THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE (FOR US.). US HELPING US WILL EXPAND CURRENT IN-PERSON OUTREACH AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND MOBILIZATION EFFORTS AS WELL AS MEDIA CAMPAIGNS (SOCIAL MEDIA AND RADIO) TO REACH THE POPULATION OF FOCUS WITH MESSAGING. USING PEER NAVIGATORS WITH SIMILAR LIVED EXPERIENCES TO ENGAGE THE POPULATION OF FOCUS AND OFFER TESTING SERVICES IN A VARIETY OF SETTINGS IS AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO REACH INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY NOT OTHERWISE SEEK OUT HEALTHCARE SERVICES OR HAVE LIMITED ACCESS TO SUCH SERVICES. THE AVAILABILITY OF IMMEDIATE TESTING OR FOLLOW-UP TESTING OPTIONS THROUGH US HELPING US' MOBILE MEDICAL UNITS OR OFFICE LOCATIONS AS WELL AS HIV SELF-TESTING IN A LOCATION CONVENIENT TO THE POTENTIAL CLIENT PROVIDES INDIVIDUALS WITH MULTIPLE OPTIONS FOR TESTING THAT ACCOMMODATE THEIR PRIVACY AND CONVENIENCE PREFERENCES. GOAL: BY THE END OF THE 5-YEAR GRANT PERIOD, AT LEAST ONE THOUSAND (1,000) NEW UNDUPLICATED BLACK MSM WITH SUBSTANCE USE AND/OR MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS AND WHO HAVE HIV OR ARE HIGHLY VULNERABLE TO HIV FROM WASHINGTON DC WILL HAVE EXPERIENCED REDUCED OR ELIMINATED BARRIERS TO ACCESSING HIV, STI, HEPB & C, PREVENTION, TREATMENT AND CARE AND SUD AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES, ULTIMATELY ENSURING AT LEAST 25% (250) OF CLIENTS REMAIN ENGAGED IN TREATMENT FOR SIX (6) MONTHS OR MORE, AS APPROPRIATE.