The Status Neutral Approach to Improve HIV Prevention and Health Outcomes for Racial and Ethnic Minorities Initiative aims to advance the development, implementation, evaluation, and dissemination of whole-person approaches to reduce disparities, prevent new HIV diagnoses, and improve health outcomes for communities disproportionately affected by HIV and related syndemics.
The project is a partnership with JSI, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB), National Association of City and County Health Officials (NACCHO), HealthDataViz (HDV), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Evaluation and Technical Assistance Provider
The SNAP Evaluation and Technical Assistance Provider (ETAP) team is supporting each funded jurisdiction to develop, implement, and evaluate a whole-person approach that:
- Creates “one door” for both HIV prevention and treatment services.
- Addresses institutionalized HIV stigma by integrating HIV prevention and care.
- Makes HIV testing, linkage to medical care, and testing for other medical conditions such as sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) more accessible and routine.
Implementation Sites
The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) Part A jurisdictions funded by HRSA for the initiative are:
- Bexar County - San Antonio, Texas
- Clark County - Las Vegas, Nevada
- Hennepin County - Minneapolis, Minnesota
- County of San Diego - San Diego, California
About the Approaches
Whole-person approaches to HIV prevention and care emphasize comprehensive and high-quality care to engage and retain people in services. A whole-person approach continually addresses the healthcare and social service needs of all people who can benefit from HIV prevention and care services so that they can achieve and maintain optimal health and well-being.
Person-centered care acknowledges people’s essential human dignity, treats people as individuals, and finds out what is important to them regarding their treatment and care.
Resources
The SNAP resource library features a curated collection of resources that support the development, implementation, and evaluation of a whole-person approach, as well as provide background on the evolution of the status neutral and whole-person frameworks.
- HRSA and CDC Status Neutral Approach Framework Program Letter
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) issued joint guidance on January 1, 2023 encouraging the implementation of a status neutral approach for HIV prevention and care. (CDC/HRSA, 2023) - A Guide to Implementing a Community Health Worker (CHW) Program in the Context of HIV Care
The guide provides detailed steps for implementing a community health worker (CHW) program in HIV care settings, covering aspects such as organizational infrastructure, recruiting, training, supervision, service delivery, and evaluation. (Boston University, 2020) - HIV, STIs, Viral Hepatitis and LTBI Routine Screening Toolkit: Resource Library
The American Medical Association (AMA) provides a comprehensive toolkit aimed at supporting routine screening for HIV, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), viral hepatitis, and latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). (American Medical Association, 2021) - Person-Centered Care
Ensuring whole-person health and well-being through the delivery of person-centered care. (JSI, 2024) - Hear from Your Peers: Status Neutral Approaches in Action
In this 60-minute presentation the Oregon Health Authority and the City of San Antonio, Metropolitan Health District described how they have implemented status neutral approaches in their respective jurisdictions. (IHAP TA Center, 2023) - Status Neutral HIV Prevention and Care - CDC Train
This 20-minute course provides the HIV prevention and treatment workforce and community partners with a working definition of status neutral services, key characteristics of a status neutral approach, benefits of using a status neutral approach, and examples of how a status neutral approach is being applied in practice. (CDC, 2022) - Implementation Science and the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program’s Work towards Ending the HIV Epidemic in the United States (HRSA)
Implementation science is an essential field for HIV treatment and prevention, providing crucial insights for clinical effectiveness and efficacy trials, bench-to-bedside translation of clinical trial evidence into real-world intervention strategies, and routine program monitoring and evaluation. (HRSA, 2020) - Status Neutral HIV Care and Service Delivery Eliminating Stigma and Reducing Health Disparities
HIV prevention and treatment tools can keep people healthy and help end the HIV epidemic. Combining these tools in a status neutral approach can help people maintain their best health possible, while also improving outcomes in HIV prevention, diagnosis, care, and treatment. (CDC, 2022)