Consulting Services to Develop a Strategic Plan to Integrate HIV
and Hepatitis Prevention and Treatment Services with Substance Abuse Services
The Health and Disability Working Group at the Boston University School
of Public Health is providing consulting services for the Bureau of Substance
Abuse Services (BSAS), the HIV/AIDS Bureau and the Center for Disease Control
Bureau of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to coordinate a
joint planning effort around the integration of HIV, Hepatitis and substance
abuse treatment services. The Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration
is sponsoring this planning effort through September 30, 2001.
The goal of the project is to develop a strategic plan to integrate HIV
and hepatitis prevention and treatment services into substance abuse services
through a community planning process in three major cities of the state,
with the aim of replicating this model statewide. In order to achieve this
goal, the project has convened an HIV, Hepatitis and Addiction Services
Integration (HHASI) planning committee to assess the current status of service
integration and to devise a strategic plan for implementation. The focus
of this grant is on people of color (specifically Latinos and African-Americans)
who are at high-risk for or currently suffering from addiction, HIV and
Hepatitis C infections.
Following is the timeline for the HHASI project:
January
HHASI core team was formed.
First HHASI statewide meeting to launch the initiative
February – April
Meeting with SAMHSA in D.C.
Two regional planning meetings in each of the three regions (Boston, Central
and Western regions). Consumer focus groups in each region.
May
First draft of the strategic plan
June
Second statewide meeting to get feedback on the strategic plan
July – August
Revisions to the strategic plan
September
Finalize the strategic plan for integration HIV/Hepatitis/Addiction Services
in Massachusetts
The Health and Disability Working Group is functioning as the project coordinator
for this project. Key staff for this project include Carol Tobias, M.M.H.S.,
principal investigator and Viviana Abuchar, M.S.W., the project coordinator.
National Evaluation and Program Support Center to conduct a multi-site evaluation of outreach activities designed to engage and retain individuals with HIV in medical care. Funded by Health Resources and Services Administration
A national evaluation of peer education training programs for people living with HIV.
A National Center working to advance the Healthy People 2010 objective that all children with special health care needs have access to adequate health insurance and financing for their care.
A cross-disciplinary training curriculum in HIV and substance abuse, designed for health care providers, support service providers and substance abuse treatment providers.