Ryan White 2012 Grantee Meeting

For HRSA grantees in States with multiple county jails and State prisons, there will be numerous recently released ex-offenders who are living with HIV disease, substance abuse issues, and conditions surrounding poverty including homelessness. Linkages into HIV medical care and services support a public health initiative to contain the virus within individuals and reduce transmission within communities. Wrap-around services serve to strengthen the capacity to meet the ex-offender from the point of discharge and initiate a durable re-integration program to help ensure the development of independence; control of health and access to health care with no disparities in HIV-related outcomes; clean, safe, and affordable housing; fand iscal management to help improve the movement from poverty to self-reliance. What can clinical providers do to initiate a comprehensive re-integration program for ex-offenders? These problems and the solutions being worked out by the AIDS Care Group will be presented.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand strategies to address key unmet needs, as currently these jails lack the incentives and/or resources to undertake appropriate discharge planning for HIV-positive inmates needing these services. Prisoners are left with no supportive counseling for housing, mental health, substance abuse, HIV care and services and employment.
• Participants will learn how to take years of experience in providing comprehensive care and the full spectrum of support services to marginalized, HIV/AIDS populations in the area and apply it to services appropriate for the ex-offenders.
• Participants will understand how to build in sustainability from the start by incorporating revenue generation through provision of and by expanding such services as an affordable housing component of care.