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SAMHSA
Project CORE
The Damien Center receives funding from the US Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) for Project CORE.We have expanded our outreach efforts to prevent and reduce the onset of substance abuse and transmission of HIV/AIDS specifically for the target subpopulation of racial/ethnic minorities that have been released from prisons and jails within the past two years. The goal of the project is to expand The Damien Center's traditional HIV and substance abuse outreach efforts to effectively reach the targeted subpopulation, with the dual purpose of reducing their substance use and subsequent behaviors which place themselves and others at risk of HIV infection.
The project includes the following four objectives:
- Expand existing outreach and engagement services via an aggressive outreach program, in partnership with local entities with the largest access to the reentry population. This will include brief interventions, literature provision to support behavior change, ensured access to drug treatment, rapid HIV counseling and testing, and access to local community medical and social services.
- Assess each individual's readiness for treatment using Motivational Interviewing techniques
- Use two Diffusion of Effective Behavioral Interventions (DEBI) models: Sisters Informing Sisters on Topics about AIDS (SISTA) and Project START interventions for HIV/AIDS prevention, and Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) for substance abuse prevention and brief treatment
- Formalize linkages with substance abuse and HIV treatment providers to ensure that all individuals in the target population receive referrals into appropriate treatment programs
The Damien Center, a direct services provider for those living with or at risk of HIV/AIDS, is the leader for this project. Project partners include The Bethlehem House (substance abuse and HIV service center), Public Action in Correctional Effort/Offender Aid and Restoration (PACE/OAR) (reentry support organization), Indiana Department of Correction Community Reentry Centers, Veterans of America (reentry facilities for veterans), Gallahue Mental Health Services (substance abuse treatment), Dr. Jeffrey Parsons (Hunter College MI Training Team), and Luther Consulting (evaluation). The Damien Center anticipates serving 3,000 unduplicated individuals through outreach, engaging 750 through assessment and participation in evidence-based interventions, and referring at least 75 to substance abuse treatment programs over the course of five years.