4-in-1 Title V - HIV/AIDS Initiative

archived

The Indian Health Service (IHS), Office of Urban Indian Health Programs (OUIHP) announces a limited targeted solicitation for the 4-in-1 Title V grants responding to an Office of HIV/AIDS Policy (OHAP), Minority AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) Initiative (MAI). This program is authorized under the authority of the Snyder Act and 25 U.S.C. 1652, 1653 of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, Public Law 94-437, as amended. This program is described at 93.193 in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA). This competitive targeted solicitation seeks to expand OUIHP's existing Title V grants to increase the number of American Indian/Alaska Natives (AI/AN) with awareness of his/her HIV status. This will provide routine and/or rapid HIV screening, prevention, pre- and post-test counseling (when appropriate). Enhancement of urban Indian health program HIV/AIDS activities is necessary to reduce the incidence of HIV/AIDS in the urban Indian health communities by increasing access to HIV related services, reducing stigma, and making testing routine. These grants and supplements will be used to enhance HIV testing, including rapid testing and/or standard HIV antibody testing and to provide a more focused effort to address HIV/AIDS prevention by targeting some of the largest urban Indian populations in the United States. The grantees will attempt to provide routine HIV screening for adults as per 2006 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, pre- and post- test counseling (when appropriate). These grants will be used to identify best practices to enhance HIV testing, including rapid testing and/or conventional HIV antibody testing, and to provide a more focused effort to address HIV/AIDS prevention in AI/AN populations in the United States. The nature of these projects will require collaboration with the OUIHP to: (1) coordinate activities with the IHS National HIV Program; (2) participate in projects in other operating divisions of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) such as the CDC, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Health Resource and Services Administration and the Office of HIV/AIDS Policy; and (3) submit and share anonymous, non-identifiable data on HIV/AIDS testing, treatment, and education. These grants are also intended to encourage development of sustainable, routine HIV screening programs in urban facilities that are aligned with 2006 CDC HIV Screening guidelines (http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5514a1.htm). Key features include streamlined consent and counseling procedures (verbal consent, opt-out), a clear HIV screening policy, identifying and implementing any necessary staff training, community awareness, and a clear follow up protocol for HIV positive results including linkages to care. Grantees may choose to bundle HIV tests with STD screening.

High