HIV Prevention

In order to leverage and expand the state wide impact of available state and federal funds, the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust is partnering with the North Carolina Division of Public Health on a HIV prevention initiative that target persons at greatest risk for acquiring or transmitting HIV infection. The initiative will support NC community based organizations (CBOs) and health departments with education, screening, testing, and peer counseling programs over a three-year period.

Applications will be accepted by the NC Division of Public Health in the following (4) program areas. Trust funds of approximately $500,000 per year will be used to support a subset of agencies applying for the first program area over a three-year period.

Non Traditional Counseling, Testing and Referral Sites (NTS);
Counseling, Testing and Referral Activities in Substance Abuse Centers;
Harm Reduction & Hepatitis C/HIV; and
Project Commit to Prevent on Colleges and Universities.

NTS Program Area
NTS projects help to identify persons who are unaware of their HIV status and facilitate getting them into treatment and prevention programs. Although the vast majority of HIV testing in NC is performed at traditional sites, a greater proportion of those tested at non-traditional testing sites are at highest risk for HIV and are more likely to test positive for HIV. High-risk populations (men who have sex with other men, injecting drug users, and those reporting exchange sex) comprise approximately 20 percent of the clients tested in NTS during 2004, compared to just five percent of the traditional venue clients (NC Epidemiologic Profile, 2006). NTS projects also target homeless individuals, the uninsured, substance abusers, and racial and ethnic minorities. In order to remove some barriers to HIV testing, non-traditional testing sites should increase the availability of free HIV testing in settings such as: public parks, on street corners, homeless shelters, detention centers, drug treatment centers, migrant health centers, mental health facilities, nightclubs, and colleges.

What is the IMPACT of KBR's investment in the HIV Prevention Initiative?

Promoting early detection and care by expanding the availability of HIV counseling, testing and care;
Increasing access to HIV services by overcoming barriers to early diagnosis and treatment of HIV infection by implementing new models for diagnosing HIV infections outside traditional medical settings;
Ensuring that HIV-infected persons are successfully linked with HIV medical care and psychosocial services by reducing barriers to accessing care through active follow-up and referrals to additional services; and
Assisting the Trust in accomplishing its strategic goals in prevention, while benefiting from a partnership with the state to provide monitoring, evaluation, and technical assistance.

What is the Timeline

Request for Applications issued by the NC Division of Public Health on September 24, 2007.
Proposals will be due to the state by October 19, 2007. (Note: No proposals will be accepted at the Trust offices!)
Applicants will be advised of selection decisions by October 31, 2007.
Contracts will be effective in February 2008 and operate on a calendar year.

For more information about applying, visit the NC HIV Prevention and Care Branch's Web site at: http://www.epi.state.nc.us/epi/hiv/initiatives.cfm

Files available for download: