Substance Abuse and Mental Health Programs

National Mental Health Information Center – HIV/AIDS (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
HIV and AIDS often can be accompanied by depression, an illness that can affect mind, body and behavior. SAMHSA’s Center for Mental Health Service (CMHS) develops program models that provide mental health services to individuals, families, and others living with or affected by HIV/AIDS.

• Mental Health HIV Services (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
  The Mental Health HIV Services Collaborative (MHHSC) Program addresses unmet mental health treatment needs of individuals living with HIV/AIDS who are African American, Hispanic/Latino and/or from other communities of color. Twenty-one community-based organizations received five-year grants to expand their current service capacity to reach and provide coordinated mental health and other health and support services to members of these groups experiencing HIV/AIDS, and to evaluate the effectiveness of these services.
• Mental Health Care Provider Education in HIV/AIDS Program III (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
  The Mental Health Care Provider Education in HIV/AIDS Program III promotes training opportunities for mental health care providers who have contact with people affected by HIV/AIDS.

Outline of SAMHSA's FY 06 and FY 07 HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis Action Plan (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
The purpose is to provide access and increase use of mental health and substance abuse prevention and treatment services to prevent HIV and hepatitis transmission among high-risk populations, including minority populations.

Services for HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
The site provides a listing of professional resources for providers of HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis services, including Technical Assistance, Online and Printed Resources and Conferences.

Safe Community Needle Disposal Program (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
The treatment of medical conditions and the injection of illegal drugs result in billions of used syringes every year. Safe disposal of used syringes is a public health priority. This resource provides information about what communities can do to manage used syringes safely.

Substance Abuse (National Library of Medicine, NIH)
This resource provides a list of resources compiled by the National Library of Medicine’s Specialized Information Services. It covers both the abuse of specific substances in additional to alcohol and how substance abuse relates to HIV/AIDS.

Housing Programs

Housing Opportunities for Persons With HIV/AIDS (HOPWA) (Housing and Urban Development)
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development administers the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program to provide housing support to low-income persons with HIV/AIDS and their families trough grants to eligible state and local governments. These jurisdictions undertake planning efforts in their state or metropolitan areas on the use of these housing resources and collaborate with area nonprofit organizations to deliver housing and care for consumers.

• Statewide HOPWA Information - Find current contacts, maps, Executive Summaries, allocation histories, and accomplishments for HOPWA grantees by state.
• Technical Support of HOPWA Providers - HOPWA Technical Assistance is available to all HOPWA grantees and project sponsors through the HOPWA National Technical Assistance program. Grantees interested in accessing HOPWA Technical Assistance may contact their local HUD Field Office or any HOPWA Technical Assistance provider directly for more information.
• Housing Grants -Ten percent of available HOPWA funds are awarded through a national annual competition. Grants are competitively selected based on published criteria for assessing housing projects proposed by States, local governments or by nonprofit organizations. To participate in the HUD competitive grants program, your organization will need to be registered with Grants.gov. To assist with the registration process, visit this resource.

Other Housing Resources:

• Community Planning and Development (CPD) - The Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD) seeks to develop viable communities by promoting integrated approaches that provide decent housing, a suitable living environment, and expand economic opportunities for low and moderate income persons. The primary means towards this end is the development of partnerships among all levels of government and the private sector, including for-profit and non-profit organizations.
• Affordable Housing Programs - The lack of affordable housing is a significant hardship for low-income households preventing them from meeting their other basic needs, such as nutrition and health care, or saving for their future and that of their families. The expansion of the supply of affordable housing for low-income families is at the very core of HUD's mission.
• Fair Housing and Equal Opportunities - The Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity administers Federal laws and establishes national policies that make sure all Americans have equal access to the housing of their choice.
• Firststep - To help persons who are homeless, case managers along with outreach workers and others working with people who are homeless can access a HHS/HUD web-based directory of federal assistance.
• Housing Discrimination - Housing discrimination based on your race, color, national origin, religion, sex, family status, or disability is illegal by Federal law. If you have been trying to buy or rent a home or apartment and you believe your rights have been violated, you can file a fair housing complaint.
• Housing for Persons with Disabilities - Housing that is available and accessible to persons with disabilities is a cornerstone of America's disability policy -- from the Fair Housing Act to the Americans with Disabilities Act. Federal regulations and state initiatives have enabled people with disabilities to have access to public housing and greater opportunities to live in the home of their choice.
• Housing for Senior Citizens - The Fair Housing Act (FHAct) protects all citizens from discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, handicap or familial status (families with children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians; pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18). Although the FHAct was amended in 1988 to prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability and familial status, Congress intended to preserve housing specifically designed to meet the needs of older persons.