RYAN WHITE TITLE III HIV CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING GRANTS - ORGANIZATION ADDRESS: 678 S. INDIAN HILL BLVD., SUITE 220, CLAREMONT, CA 91711 PROJECT DIRECTOR NAME: TAELYR PATTON, LCSW CONTACT PHONE NUMBERS: VOICE: 909-884-2722 X 222 FAX: 909-884-2732 EMAIL ADDRESS: TAELYRP@FAPINFO.ORG WEBSITE: HTTPS://FAPINFO.ORG/ FOOTHILL AIDS PROJECT (FAP) IS APPLY FOR FUNDS UNDER THE CATEGORY: INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT: TELEHEALTH. FAP IS REQUESTING $142,749 IN GRANT FUNDS TO SUPPORT THIS ONE-YEAR PROJECT. SUMMARY OF PROPOSED ACTIVITY AND INTENDED IMPACT FAP IS A WELL-ESTABLISHED HIV COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATION SERVING THREE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COUNTIES: RIVERSIDE COUNTY, SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, AND LOS ANGELES COUNTY'S SERVICE PLANNING AREAS (SPAS) 3 (SAN GABRIEL VALLEY) AND 7 (EAST LOS ANGELES). NEARLY TWO-THIRDS (74.4%) OF FAP'S SAN BERNARDINO AND RIVERSIDE COUNTY CLIENTS ARE PWH WHO LIVE WITHIN AREAS DESIGNATED AS RURAL. FAP SERVES A MARGINALIZED POPULATION, INCLUDING PWH WHO ARE HOMELESS AND THOSE WHO HAVE MENTAL HEALTH AND/OR SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS. DUE TO THE MORE RURAL NATURE OF OUR CLIENTS IN RIVERSIDE AND SAN BERNARDINO COUNTIES, WE WILL PILOT THE PROPOSED TELEHEALTH PROJECT IN THESE COUNTIES; IN 2022 WE SERVED 733 CLIENTS IN THIS REGION. FAP WILL PURCHASE AND IMPLEMENT ECLINICAL WORKS, A HIPAA SECURE AND CMS-CERTIFIED ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORD (EMR), WHICH HAS A ROBUST TELEHEALTH CAPABILITY SEAMLESSLY EMBEDDED WITHIN THE PLATFORM. THIS WILL CREATE A BRAND-NEW ABILITY FOR US TO DELIVER BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES TO CLIENTS ROUTINELY FROM THE COMFORT OF THEIR HOME, WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT TRANSPORTATION, WHICH IS ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT IN SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY'S HIGH DESERT AREA. ALTHOUGH WE HAVE TWO WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE VANS, THEY SERVE ONLY SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY AND THE DEMAND FOR TRANSPORTATION EXCEEDS THEIR AVAILABILITY. FURTHER, THERE IS A SHORTAGE OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WORKERS IN CALIFORNIA, WHICH IS ESPECIALLY HIGH IN THESE TWO COUNTIES. WE HAVE HAD STAFF CHURNING IN THIS D EPARTMENT AS STAFF INITIALLY WORK WITH US TO GAIN THEIR CLINICAL HOURS FOR LICENSURE, AND ONCE THEY ARE LICENSED, THEY LEAVE FOR HIGHER PAYING POSITIONS OR TO BEGIN THEIR OWN PRIVATE PRACTICES. MORE AND MORE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PERSONNEL ARE CHOOSING TO WORK FROM HOME, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO RECRUIT QUALIFIED STAFF. CURRENTLY, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES ARE THE MOST USED SERVICE NATIONALLY VIA TELEHEALTH. THUS, HAVING TELEHEALTH WILL NOT ONLY PROVIDE CLIENTS WITH A NEW WAY TO ACCESS SERVICES, BUT IT WILL GIVE US A NEW WAY TO RECRUIT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH STAFF, BEING ABLE TO OFFER REMOTE WORK FULL-TIME OR PART-TIME, MAKING US MORE COMPETITIVE IN THIS CHANGING ENVIRONMENT.