Grantee: New York City Correctional Health Services 

Project: Transitional Health Care Coordination (THCC)

Location: Rikers Island, NY

Priority Population: Puerto Rican men and women, including transgender, HIV+ or high-risk for HIV, during and after incarceration

 

NYC Correctional Health Services is responsible for the provision of health care to all those held in NYC jails.  CHS offers HIV testing, care and treatment and provides transitional care coordination for HIV patients leaving jail. CHS’s Transitional Health Care Coordination (THCC) proposes an education and training intervention with three components: 1) Latino cultural awareness and sensitivity training to clinicians working in NYC jails and community providers affiliated with Bronx Health and Housing Consortium; 2) tailored HIV counseling for those of Puerto Rican descent at risk of HIV, with an emphasis on testing for those who have never been tested; and 3) culturally specific referrals to community-based care for those living with HIV who are released from a NYC jail. Correctional health providers will also be trained in motivational interviewing techniques to facilitate engaging clients who may be victims of sex-trafficking, providing culturally and contextually sensitive counseling to assist those victims in freeing themselves from the sex trade. All those admitted to a NYC jail expected to return to the community will receive a culturally appropriate discharge plan from specially trained staff; bilingual staff are available 24/7 to meet the needs of Spanish-speaking clients. Transitional plans will refer clients to community-based providers who are able to meet the needs of Spanish-speaking clients, from different cultural backgrounds. Providers experienced with victims of sex trafficking will be identified as a resource for those clients