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About

Project Background

From 2011-2015, the opioid overdose death rate among persons diagnosed with HIV increased by 42.7 percent.1 The HRSA-funded initiative Strengthening Systems of Care for People with HIV and Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) provides coordinated technical assistance (TA) across HIV and behavioral health/substance use service providers. The project aims to enhance system-level coordination and networks of care among Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) recipients and other federal, state, and local entities. The purpose of this initiative is to ensure that people with HIV and OUD have access to care, treatment, and recovery services that are coordinated, client-centered, and culturally responsive.

JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. (JSI) has been funded to work with the following nine states participating in the initiative: Arizona, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Utah, Virginia, and Washington.

map of nine states where project works

JSI is partnering with NASTAD to implement this initiative, with subject matter expertise from Boston Medical Center.

Download the project fact sheet (PDF)

    Project Approach

    • Engage stakeholders
    • Provide tailored TA
    • Facilitate peer sharing across states
    • Ensure data-informed decision-making
    • Build capacity and systems with state partners to ensure sustainability
    • Evaluate the impact of project activities
    • Disseminate TA materials and case studies nationally

    Key Project Outcomes

    • Strengthened systems of care to address HIV and OUD treatment, care, and recovery needs
    • Increased cross-sector collaboration across federal, state, and local partners
    • Improved system-level coordination and leveraging of available resources
    • Enhanced care and treatment services to deliver optimal patient-centered and culturally responsive care
    • Improved health outcomes of people with HIV and OUD

    Road map of SPNS SCC project

    Special Projects of National Significance Initiative Overview

    This project is part of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) SPNS Initiative titled: Strengthening Systems of Care for People Living with HIV and Opioid Use Disorder. SPNS is authorized under Part F of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP). The initiative:

    • Supports the development of innovative models of HIV care that quickly respond to the emerging needs of clients served by RWHAP
    • Evaluates the effectiveness of different models
    • Promotes the dissemination and replication of successful models

    For more information please visit the SPNS website.

    JSI/NASTAD and Yale University

    • HRSA SPNS funded two Systems Coordination Providers (SCPs) to assist states in leveraging resources at federal, state, and local levels for people with HIV and OUD.
    • JSI/NASTAD: nine states (Arizona, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Virginia, Utah, Washington)
    • Yale University: five states (Connecticut, Vermont, West Virginia, Kentucky, Maine)
    • Project period: 3 years (September 1, 2019 – August 31, 2022)

    Reference:

    1 Bosh, Karin, Crepaz N, Dong X, Lyss S, Mendoza M, Mitsch A. “Opioid Overdose Deaths among Persons with HIV Infection, United States, 2011-2015.” Presented at Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, Seattle, WA, March 2019.