US Southern Initiative – Phase I and II

Phase I of the Positive Action US Southern Initiative was launched on July 6, 2010 and focused on the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. It is a collaborative, community-focused program designed to address gaps in services or programs that support linkages to care and treatment adherence among African-American and Latino individuals living with HIV/AIDS. The Positive Action US Southern Initiative focused on the Southern region of the United States following a national listening tour and extensive consultations with some of the sector’s leading non-governmental organizations, practitioners and policy-makers, including the country’s leading advocacy organizations dedicated to serving the needs of minority populations. Input from these groups helped us to better understand the personal, societal and structural barriers that may prevent HIV+ people from accessing and maintaining care and formed the basis for prioritizing both the region and types of organization that were the focus of the Phase I grants. In addition to the listening tour, ViiV Healthcare conducted an analysis to further understand the areas of greatest need in HIV and support the White House National HIV/AIDS Strategy. As a result, the Positive Action US Southern Initiative is a community input enabled effort which reflects the priorities of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy and supports innovative community organizations addressing disparities in HIV. The 2010 grants were announced on September 9, 2010

Beyond program grants, the US Southern Initiative is also supporting the finalists through networking activities, including opportunities to share lessons learned with one another and with other community experts.

Network members include:

*2010 Positive Action grant recipients

Positive Action US Southern Initiative Grantees 

Positive Action US Southern Initiative Grantees

ViiV Healthcare has awarded seven Phase II grants through our Positive Action Southern Initiative to organizations focused on supporting African-American and Latino populations in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee to help provide linkages to HIV/AIDS care and enhance treatment adherence.

Initially piloted last year in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi, the expansion of the Positive Action Southern Initiative program builds on the success of the global Positive Action program with efforts to support projects in the United States that address populations most affected by HIV/AIDS. 

The selected organizations will receive up to $50,000 per year over the next two years to support their programs specifically focused on reducing disparities in HIV/AIDS linkages to care and treatment among African-Americans and Latinos in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

The following organizations were selected as grant awardees:

  • BASIC NWFL, based in Panama City, FL will enhance their U R Connected program and its three core components of Positive Education, Positive Referral and Positive Connection, which uniquely address the obstacles that prevent access to quality care and treatment adherence for people living with HIV/AIDS in this generally rural area.  http://www.basicnwfl.com/
  • Care Resource (or Community AIDS Resource), based in Miami, FL, will enhance its Intervention - Assertive Community Treatment for Women of Color (I-ACT) program to support mental health services to address the unmet mental health needs for participating African-American and Latino women who have been affected by HIV/AIDS. http://www.careresource.org/
  • Jacksonville Area Sexual Minority Youth Network, Inc. (JASMYN), based in Jacksonville, FL, will enhance its Safety Net Program with services to better address the challenges of linkage to care for HIV positive Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) youth and to prevent homelessness by providing training in motivational interviewing and medical case management. http://jasmyn.org/
  • Nashville CARES, based in Nashville, TN, will enhance its Healthy U program, which trains people living with HIV/AIDS as peer mentors to improve health literacy and management of treatment, medication and health needs. http://www.nashvillecares.org/
  • RAIN, Inc. (Regional AIDS Interfaith Network), based in Charlotte, NC, will support a critical gap in case management services for those clients who are no longer eligible for Medical Case Management but continue to need support. http://carolinarain.org/
  • South Carolina HIV/AIDS Council, based in Columbia, SC, will expand its PHARAOH intervention program to support incarcerated HIV-positive African-American men preparing for release from the state’s prison system. http://www.schivaidscouncil.org/
  • WellFlorida Council Inc., based in Gainesville, FL, will establish a new peer-based approach to its Consumer Access Peer Educator (CAPE) program focused on HIV-positive Hispanic and women of color and their access to health services. Peer-delivered strategies will help to overcome barriers through a tailored curriculum and recruitment/training process to enhance linkages to care.  http://www.wellflorida.org/

To read the corresponding corporate press release and find out more about the programme:  click here .

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