FY 2011 Supplements for Rapid HIV Testing

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The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announces the availability of funds to expand the capacity of Minority AIDS Initiative (MAI) grantees in the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT)) and Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) to provide rapid HIV testing, counseling, and referral to care. The RHT Supplements will promote the principle goals of the MAI which are to improve HIV-related health outcomes for racial and ethnic minority communities disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS and reduce HIV related health disparities. In addition, the RHT Supplements are aligned with the objectives of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) to: 1) reduce the number of people who become infected with HIV, 2) increase access to care and optimize health outcomes, and 3) reduce HIV-related health disparities. Intensifying HIV prevention efforts with the utilization of rapid HIV testing of individuals with substance use and/or mental disorders is also consistent with the NHAS, given the disproportionately high prevalence of HIV among ethnic and racial minorities. The goals and objectives of the MAI, NHAS, and RHT Supplements are consistent with the goals of the Affordable Care Act (Strategic Initiative #5-Health Reform), which emphasizes the coordination of services for federally funded health service agencies to provide comprehensive care to the needs of vulnerable populations. There is a critical need to increase testing activities among individuals who are at risk for HIV, and especially those who are not aware of their sero-status. The HIV epidemic has been documented to be larger than previously estimated. In 2008, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with the use of new technology estimated that approximately 56,300 new HIV infections occurred in the U.S. in 2006, a figure that is 40% higher than CDC's former estimate of 40,000 new infections per year. These new estimates indicate that there are about 1,106,400 adults and adolescents living with HIV infection in the United States (MMWR, October, 2008). These new findings also indicate that African Americans and Hispanic/Latino populations continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV infection. Recent estimates showed that African Americans represented 46% and Hispanics/Latinos 18% of new HIV infections. Individuals with substance use disorders are at increased risk for HIV/AIDS as a result of either sharing contaminated syringes or by exhibiting impaired judgment while under the influence of a legal or illegal drug with abuse potential (e.g., alcohol, cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, prescription, and/or other non-injection drugs) which may increase high risk sexual behavior associated with HIV infection and transmission. Lastly, increasing rapid HIV testing efforts among SAMHSA MAI grantees will help to decrease the stigma associated with HIV by integrating HIV testing into routine best practices. Supplemental grant funds must be used for the following activities: Purchase of rapid HIV test kits, test controls, other required supplies (e.g., gloves, biohazardous waste containers, etc.); Implementation of quality assurance measures to appropriately conduct rapid HIV testing; and Training for staff related to HIV rapid testing. In addition to providing rapid HIV testing, applicants must develop a plan for providing referrals that include, but are not limited to: primary health care; and mental health and medical services for those who are HIV positive, have AIDS or are at high-risk of HIV infection. You must also incorporate individuals served as a result of the supplemental activities into your ongoing Government Performance and Results Modernization Act of 2010 (GPRA) activities. RHT Supplements are authorized under Section 509 of the Public Health Service Act, as amended. This announcement addresses Healthy People 2020 Substance Abuse Topic Area HP 2020-SA. SAMHSA strongly encourages all grantees to provide a smoke-free workplace and to promote abstinence from all tobacco products (except in regard to accepted tribal traditions and practices).

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