292219
Addressing the intersection of mental health, substance abuse, and HIV/AIDS in minority communities
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
: 10:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.
Angel Johnson, MS,
Center for Technical Assistance, Training, and Research Support, The MayaTech Corporation, Silver Spring, MD
James E. Skinner, MSW, BSN,
Center for Technical Assistance, Training, and Research Support, The MayaTech Corporation, Silver Spring, MD
Edward Singleton, PhD,
Center for Technical Assistance, Training, and Research Support, The MayaTech Corporation, Silver Spring, MD
Issues: HIV/AIDS and associated behavioral health problems persist as major public health concerns in the United States, specifically in racial/ethnic minority communities. As the syndemic of HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, and mental health disorders continues to exact a disproportionate toll on minority communities, the need for integrated services amplifies. Description: The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMSHA) Minority AIDS Initiative (MAI) provides communities with funding, training, and technical assistance (T/TA) to address substance abuse, mental illness, and HIV/AIDS among minority populations. MAI is part of SAMHSA's strategic initiative to prevent substance abuse and mental illness and focuses on increasing communities' capacity to implement integrated, evidence-based, culturally-appropriate behavioral health and HIV/AIDS programs. MAI is implemented through three main programs: the Targeted Capacity Expansion (TCE) HIV program, the Substance Abuse and HIV Prevention program, and the MAI-TCE program. The session will review data from administrative records of 275 MAI-funded programs. Systematic analysis of these data provides an overview of the projects, activities, reach of the activities, and T/TA provided. Lessons Learned: MAI programs are implementing 80 evidence-based interventions in 34 States/Territories and District of Columbia. Nearly 800,000 people of diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds have been targeted for outreach and/or direct interventions, with 215,000 targeted for HIV testing. T/TA has focused on intervention implementation, sustainability, recruitment/retention, and fiscal management. Recommendations: Continued support is needed for organizations to implement integrated, culturally appropriate behavioral health and HIV/AIDS programs targeting racial/ethnic minority communities. These programs have significant implications for eliminating disparities in substance abuse and HIV.
Learning Areas:
Assessment of individual and community needs for health education
Diversity and culture
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Learning Objectives:
Describe the SAMHSA Minority AIDS Initiative and provide an overview of the projects that received funding under the Initiative.
Identify innovative approaches projects are using to provide integrated behavioral health and HIV/AIDS services.
Discuss the use of evidence-based interventions in providing integrated behavioral health and HIV/AIDS services.
Keyword(s): HIV/AIDS, Substance Abuse
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the project director for training and technical assistance delivery to integrated substance abuse, mental health, and HIV/AIDS programs. I have worked with these programs for nearly 10 years.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines,
and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed
in my presentation.
