Minority AIDS Initiative Targeted Capacity Expansion (MAI-TCE): Integrated Behavioral Health/Primary Care Network Cooperative Agreements

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is accepting applications for the fiscal year (FY) 2011 Minority AIDS Initiative Targeted Capacity Expansion (MAI-TCE): Integrated Behavioral Health/Primary Care Network Cooperative Agreements. The purpose of the MAI-TCE program is to facilitate the development and expansion of culturally competent and effective integrated behavioral health and primary care networks, which include HIV services and medical treatment, within racial and ethnic minority communities in the 12 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) and Metropolitan Divisions (MDs) most impacted by HIV/AIDS. The expected outcomes for the program include reducing the impact of behavioral health problems, HIV risk and incidence, and HIV-related health disparities in these areas. As the incidence of HIV/AIDS increases among racial and ethnic minority populations, the need for substance abuse and mental health services increases as well. When untreated, these behavioral health needs are associated with increased morbidity and mortality, impaired quality of life, and numerous medical and/or behavioral challenges, such as non-adherence with treatment regimens. This program will ensure that individuals who are at high risk for or have a mental and/or substance use disorder and who are most at risk for or are living with HIV/AIDS have access to and receive appropriate behavioral health services (including prevention and treatment), HIV/AIDS care and medical treatment in integrated behavioral health and primary care settings (that may include infectious disease or other HIV specialty providers).The FY 2011 MAI-TCE program also supports the integration of behavioral health services (i.e., the prevention and treatment of mental illness and substance abuse) into the CDC supported Enhanced Comprehensive HIV Prevention Plans (ECHPP) for each of the 12 MSAs/MDs most impacted by HIV/AIDS; and HIV rapid testing and counseling services into existing mental health and substance abuse treatment provider networks within racial and ethnic minority communities within those same areas. This grant program is part of the Congressional Minority AIDS Initiative, which was developed to improve HIV-related health outcomes for racial and ethnic minority communities disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS and to reduce HIV-related health disparities. The program also supports the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) 12 Cities Project, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) current efforts through the ECHPP to reduce HIV risk and incidence in the areas most affected by the HIV epidemic. The program is a part of SAMHSA's Health Reform Strategic Initiative. Information on SAMHSA's eight Strategic Initiatives is available at http://www.SAMHSA.gov.Grantees must focus the majority of their grant activities on serving racial and ethnic minority communities within their MSA or MD. Grantees also are strongly encouraged to focus on serving the priority populations identified in the National HIV/AIDS strategy (as appropriate for their jurisdiction), including Black and Latino women and men, gay and bisexual men, transgendered persons, and substance users. In addition, grantees may prioritize other high priority populations living within their MSA or MD, such as American Indian/Alaska Natives, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders to the extent that this focus is based on the grantee's local HIV/AIDS epidemiological profile.Since the MAI-TCE program includes funds for both infrastructure development and the provision of direct services, SAMHSA intends that its grantees begin the delivery of services as soon as possible after award. Service delivery should begin no later than the beginning of the 4th month of the project. The MAI-TCE grant program is authorized under Sections 509, 516, and 520A of the Public Health Service Act, as amended, which support the integration of substance abuse prevention, substance abuse treatment, and mental health services into primary care settings. This announcement addresses Healthy People 2020, Mental Health and Mental Disorders Topic Area HP 2020-MHMD, Substance Abuse Topic Area HP 2020-SA, and HIV Topic Area HP 2020-HIV.