Harlem United Community AIDS Center, Inc.


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Grant Program: Collaborative Technical Assistance and Capacity Development Demonstration Grant Program (CTA/CD)
FY 08 Grantee: Harlem United Community AIDS Center, Inc.
Name of Grant Project: CTA/CD Program

Abstract

Capacity-building support services were delivered to community-based organizations (CBOs) operating in areas of New York City with the highest concentration of people living with HIV/AIDS. Key strategies included:

Conducting needs assessment to identify gaps in CBOs' service provision and organizational infrastructure;
Assisting CBOs in developing new HIV care and prevention programs (e.g. HIV/AIDS rapid testing, primary care, case management, mental health, substance use); and
Developing a strong continuum of quality care by improving linkages and referral partners for the CBOs.

The technical assistance (TA) team consisted of training professionals and program specialists from the grantee organization and project partners, including a community-based, minority-serving organization, a research and substance abuse treatment agency, and a non-profit consulting group. The primary method of grantee's TA was one-on-one consultation with each CBO, with occasional group trainings on topics that ranged from strategic planning, feasibility analyses, proposal writing and fundraising to fiscal management and policy development. TA was provided onsite at the CBO's program office, which had the added advantage of offering TA staff the opportunity to collect observational data on CBO's organizational infrastructure, strengths, and challenges. The level of TA engagement also varied based on the needs of the CBOs. Some TA, proposal writing, required intense but limited encounters, while others, like program development, required engagement of longer duration. These TA activities were developed based on a number of promising practices including several identified by the University of Kansas in their Best Processes for Community Change and Improvement.

A mixed- method evaluation was conducted to identify the effectiveness of the grantee's TA delivery. Key evaluation tools included an organizational needs assessment prior to the TA provision, a project tracking tool designed to track the status and progress of the grantee's TA activities, and client satisfaction surveys with CBOs after the completion of TA. The evaluation found that over the course of three years, the grantee provided TA to a total of 19 CBOs, enhancing and expanding CBOs' existing onsite primary care, case management, and substance abuse prevention and treatment services. For example, the strategic planning sessions helped seven CBOs complete their feasibility studies and, as a result, two CBOs successfully established a new Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) and a new mental health program, which are expected to provide medical and other support services to an additional 5,000 individuals per year. The proposal writing workshops delivered by this project resulted in CBOs successfully securing a total of $1,180,000 in new service dollars. These results show that providing evidence-based, tailored, onsite one-on-one TA is effective in enhancing the capacity of CBOs that deliver quality health services for HIV/AIDS- infected minority populations.

Related NPA Goals

Leadership - Strengthen and broaden leadership for addressing health disparities at all levels.
Health System and Life Experience - Improve health and healthcare outcomes for racial, ethnic, and underserved populations.
Cultural and Linguistic Competency - Improve cultural and linguistic competency and the diversity of the health-related workforce.

Related Healthy People 2020 Objectives

AHS-5 Increase the proportion of persons who have a specific source of ongoing care
AHS-6 Reduce the proportion of individuals who are unable to obtain or delay in obtaining necessary medical care, dental care, or prescription medicines
HIV-10 Increase the proportion of HIV-infected adolescents and adults who receive HIV care and treatment consistent with current standards
HIV-13 Increase the proportion of persons living with HIV who know their serostatus
HIV-14 Increase the proportion of adolescents who have been tested for HIV in the past 12 months

Content Last Modified: 4/13/2012 12:18:00 PM

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Abstract

Related NPA Goals

Related Healthy People 2020 Objectives