Office of Urban Indian Health Program - Title V HIV/AIDS

The Indian Health Service is accepting limited competitive grant applications for the Office of Urban Indian Health Programs Title V HIV/AIDS program. The purpose of this IHS grant announcement is 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, targeting some of the largest urban Indian populations in the United States. It will also include outreach to high risk urban AI/AN populations, referral for services not provided on-site, and follow-up with referred patients/ clients. The grantees will attempt to provide routine HIV screening for adults as per 2006 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines and pre- and post-test counseling (when appropriate). These grants will be used to identify best practices to increase capacity at the local level, and assist urban Indian health program sites with meeting HIV testing and treatment needs in urban 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) to the extent permitted by law, 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 Indian health program 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 sexually transmitted disease (STD) screening.