Substance Abuse, HIV, and Hepatitis Prevention

Federal funding through the Fund for Public Health in New York (FPHNY) enabled the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to launch a program that provides a multitude of services to high risk populations in the Bronx, in partnership with a network of substance abuse, Hepatitis, and HIV/AIDS outreach and prevention agencies. The target population includes commercial sex workers living in the Bronx and re-entrants from the correctional system who are at high-risk for substance abuse, HIV and Hepatitis infection. Services to be provided include rapid HIV and Hepatitis C testing with pre-test and post-test counseling; Hepatitis A and B vaccinations; education and outreach to community members at risk of becoming injecting drug users (IDUs); and referral to treatments (drug-free and pharmacological services) for current IDUs.

The Crotona-Tremont, Highbridge-Morrisania, and Hunts Point-Mott Haven communities were selected for this program because of their disproportionately high rates of HIV and Hepatitis C infection and high rates of substance abuse.  All three communities have high rates of language isolation, lower levels of education (52% of adults ages 25 and over in these communities do not have a high school diploma), and lower median income. In addition, approximately 25% of re-entrants from the correctional system are discharged into these three communities in the Bronx. Existing post-incarceration discharge planning programs do not adequately provide healthcare services for those infected with HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis.

Through the combination of these outreach strategies and interventions, the program aims to reduce the number of HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis infections and to increase the number of people receiving care.