A Status Neutral Approach to Improve HIV Prevention and Health Outcomes for Racial and Ethnic Minorities – Implementation Sites

This notice announces the opportunity to apply for funding under the A Status Neutral Approach to Improve HIV Prevention and Health Outcomes for Racial and Ethnic Minorities – Implementation Sites. This three-year project has two coordinated components: Implementation Sites and an Evaluation and Technical Assistance Provider (ETAP). Funding is available for four RWHAP Part A recipients who are interested in developing and implementing a status neutral framework in their jurisdictions. The purpose of this project is to develop, implement, and evaluate status neutral strategies within Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) Part A jurisdictions for racial and ethnic minority subpopulations (i.e., Black women; Black, Latino, American Indian/Alaska Native gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men; transgender people; and people who use substances) who need HIV prevention services. This project will focus on the prevention pathway, utilizing the existing RWHAP non-medical case management model (NMCM) and applying it to people who test negative for HIV and are at substantial risk for HIV, in order to assist in improving access to needed services. NMCM is the provision of a range of client centered activities focused on improving access to and retention in needed core medical and support services. NMCM provides coordination, guidance, and assistance in accessing medical, social, community, legal, financial, employment, vocational, and/or other needed services. NMCM may also include assisting eligible clients to obtain access to other public and private programs for which they may be eligible. The goal of this project is to develop and implement a status neutral approach that: • Creates “one door” for both HIV prevention and treatment services. • Addresses institutionalized HIV stigma by integrating HIV prevention and care rather than supporting separate systems, which can deepen the divide between people with HIV and people who can benefit from HIV prevention services. • Enables people to know their status by making HIV testing, linkage to medical care, and testing for other medical conditions such as sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and Hepatitis C virus (HCV) more accessible and routine. Since a status neutral framework encourages a comprehensive, whole-person assessment of a person’s unique situation, it allows for more tailored—and therefore likely more successful—interventions. In addition to implementing the status neutral strategies in the four RWHAP Part A jurisdictions, the ETAP, funded under a separate announcement number (HRSA-23-127), will be a single organization funded via a cooperative agreement to provide technical assistance (TA), including planning, coordination, mapping services, and infrastructure development/enhancement, to the four implementation sites on the development of a status neutral framework. The ETAP will also evaluate the outcomes of the strategies implemented at the provider organizations within the four implementation sites and develop TA products and resources for dissemination to HRSA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funded recipients.

RWHAP Part A recipients that continue to meet the status as an eligible area as defined in the statute are eligible to apply for these funds. Eligibility for RWHAP Part A grants is based in part on the number of confirmed AIDS cases within a statutorily specified metropolitan area. The Secretary uses the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) census-based definitions of a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) in determining the geographic boundaries of a RWHAP metropolitan area. HHS utilizes the OMB geographic boundaries that were in effect when a jurisdiction was initially funded under RWHAP Part A. For all newly eligible areas, the boundaries are based on current OMB MSA boundary definitions as listed in the Appendix: Geographic Service Areas. An Eligible Metropolitan Area (EMA) must have more than AIDS 2,000 cases reported to and confirmed by the CDC during the most recent five calendar years; a Transitional Grant Area (TGA) must have at least 1,000 but fewer than 2,000 AIDS cases reported to and confirmed by the CDC during the most recent five calendar years for which such data are available. In addition, for three consecutive years, recipients must not have fallen below both the required incidence levels already specified and required prevalence levels (cumulative total of living AIDS cases reported to and confirmed by the CDC, as of December 31 of the most recent calendar year for which such data are available). For an EMA, the required prevalence is 3,000 living AIDS cases. For a TGA, the required prevalence is 1,500 or more living AIDS cases. However, for a TGA with five percent or less of the total amount from grants awarded to the area under Part A unobligated, as of the end of the most recent FY, the required prevalence is at least 1,400 and fewer than 1,500 living AIDS cases. This competition is open to eligible Part A jurisdictions as listed in the Appendix: Geographic Service Areas. Tribes and tribal organizations are not eligible.

Chrissy Abrahms Woodland

(301)443-1373