NCUIH Mini-grant for HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

We are thrilled to inform you that our efforts to provide improved technical assistance and outreach have started to show some results. NCUIH has just received a contract with SAMHSA to carry out the distribution of 50,000 Rapid HIV (oral swab) kits, as well as the coordination of some awareness activities throughout Indian Country. This project involves most national Indian health organizations and will require an orchestrated effort from both urban and tribal health programs. We will send more detailed information and specifics on this project as we enter the first phase (most likely after February 28, 2008) we will be calling on you for your support and participation.

We strongly encourage you to  apply for one of these 13 small grants of $500 by sending us a quick proposal (½ a page) on how your program would use this money to create an activity in support of the National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (March 20th). Activities must be carried out on or before that day. For easy instructions on how to apply and other details please open the attached proposal guidelines. Please find a synthesis of the larger project below these words. We will soon be sending out follow-up emails to our programs that will provide more detailed information and explain how we anticipate working with you as we move ahead with the project.

Please contact Alejandro Bermudez (abermudez@ncuih.org) or Jesse Harding (jharding@ncuih.org) if you have any questions. They will be happy to walk you through the process.

Thank you for your help with this project—we hope it will create a better understanding and awareness of the plight of HIV/AIDS in Indian Country.
                                                                                                                         
Geoffrey Roth
Executive Director
National Council of Urban Indian Health

Background Project Information
The main objective of this project is to advance the fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS in Indian Country by getting as many individuals tested as possible. This will lay the groundwork for SAMHSA and involved agencies to further their efforts to prevent and treat the HIV/AIDS pandemic among Native Americans. The project will also allow for the creation of a solid and effective outreach network in Indian Country that will serve SAMHSA in implementing potential follow-up projects focused on this initiative’s specific goals of HIV/AIDS Education, Outreach and Prevention in Indian Country. Here are our goals:

1. To distribute incentives for testing through the appropriate culturally sensitive and grassroots Native American channels
2. To test 50,000 Alaskan Native and American Indian Individuals across the US in both Urban and Tribal lands
3. To collect and disseminate surveillance data on all areas where American Indians and Alaskan Natives live.
4. To create a network of American Indian and Alaskan Native Providers that are trained and certified to administer oral swab tests.

As we all know, stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS and testing for the disease is pervasive, and thus one of the biggest challenges to overcome. We know that fear makes people freeze up and ignore their concerns and obligations. NCUIH will be looking to you for your assistance in sharing your insight and understanding that will help to bring greater awareness and better solutions to this issue in particular.