We have exciting news to share! Harlem United is the recipient of two new exciting and important grant awards, one in our Prevention department (or PESS, which stands for Prevention, Education and Support Services) and one in our Health Services department.
In PESS, Harlem United’s application to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for Comprehensive High-Impact HIV Prevention (FOA PS15-1502) was selected for funding! This is a huge accomplishment because this funding opportunity was extremely competitive. In fact, we are only one of about 90 awardees in the United States and one of 14 in New York State. This new funding will support the implementation of a new program, out of the HOME space, which aims to reduce morbidity, mortality and related health disparities for young men who have sex with men ages 16 to 24. The program will provide HIV testing, link HIV-positive persons to medical care, increase referrals to Partner Services, and provide prevention and essential support services for HIV-positive persons and high-risk persons with a negative or unknown status.
In Health Services and PESS, the New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute has awarded Harlem United two new contracts to provide HIV Primary Care Retention and Adherence services at our Willis Green and El Faro Community Health Centers. The program is designed to implement systems for early identification of HIV infection and improve patients’ ability to self-manage their HIV, ultimately achieving sustained viral load suppression, retention in care and general health and well-being. This will be achieved through the identification of barriers to retention as well as, medication adherence, through a team of staff using group and individualized strategies.
We look forward to bringing you more information about the impact these new initiatives will have!
