Minority AIDS Initiative Retention and Re-Engagement Project

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This announcement solicits applications for the Minority AIDS Initiative Retention and Re-Engagement in HIV Care Project. The purpose of the Minority AIDS Initiative Retention and Re-Engagement in HIV Care Project is to enhance access to and quality of HIV clinical care and support services for people with HIV disease who are traditionally underserved. The initiative's goals will be accomplished through the provision of training and technical assistance, which are defined for the purposes of this announcement as the identification of need for and delivery of practical program and technical support to the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program community. Training and technical assistance is intended to maximally assist grantees, planning bodies, funded providers, affected communities and individuals living with HIV infection to design and deliver HIV care programs. This includes assistance for the design, implementation and evaluation of integrated community-based primary care, mental health and outpatient substance abuse treatment and critical support services that are supported by the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program. This competitive Funding Opportunity Announcement is provided to assist applicants in preparing a request for funding under the fiscal year (FY) 2011 Minority AIDS Initiative Retention and Re-Engagement in HIV Care Project. This project will support one organization for up to two years to support the development, implementation, and evaluation of innovative and replicable HIV service delivery models to improve retention and re-engagement in care for people of color living with HIV/AIDS. These innovative service delivery models will focus on facilitating linkage to integrated care that includes quality HIV primary care, outpatient substance abuse treatment, mental health services and stable housing. Effective and focused integrated care interventions should be designed to overcome barriers across the spectrum of re-engagement and retention in care. The Coordinating Technical Assistance Center (CTAC) will collaborate with at least one contracted Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program-funded HIV medical care provider organization in each of the cities of New York, Miami and San Juan in the development and implementation of innovative service models that increase access to and retention in care and improve health outcomes for people of color living with HIV disease, mental illness and substance abuse issues. The successful applicant organization will work in collaboration with contracted HIV medical care organizations, coordinating their activities and providing technical assistance. The CTAC and contracted organizations will collaboratively identify effective integrated care models that include innovative strategies to overcome barriers across the spectrum of engagement and retention in care for HIV-positive individuals with mental health and substance abuse issues. The CTAC will conduct a comprehensive multi-site evaluation to identify and document successful models for purposes of dissemination and replication at the national level. Specifically, applicants should address the following goals in describing potential service models: oLinkage into quality HIV care oRetention once engaged in quality HIV in care oRe-linkage to quality HIV care after falling out of care Funds awarded under this grant may not be used for direct services or for duplication of existing services, but rather to fund innovative service delivery models designed to engage and retain people in quality HIV care. Direct HIV care is funded by other sources, such as the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Programs.

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