Special Projects of National Significance Program
he Special Projects of National Significance (SPNS) Program advances knowledge and skills in the delivery of health and support services to underserved populations diagnosed with HIV infection. SPNS grants fund innovative models of care and support the development of effective delivery systems for HIV care. The SPNS Program is considered the research and development arm of the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act and provides the mechanisms to
- Assess the effectiveness of particular models of care,
- Support innovative program design, and
- Promote replication of effective models.
To meet program goals, funded organizations must contain a strong evaluation component and disseminate information necessary for effective replication.
The current SPNS effort began in 1991 with some of the first Federal grants to target adolescents and women living with HIV. Today, a portfolio of 72 grants, funded either solely by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, HIV/AIDS Bureau or in partnership with other Federal agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, address tomorrow’s issues in HIV care.
The SPNS Program is an integral link to all CARE Act programs. Although it provides an opportunity to develop new services, the program places great emphasis on the legislative mandates to assess the effectiveness of models of care and promote their replication. As CARE Act grantees develop innovative services, the SPNS Program will provide the funding and expertise for grantees to evaluate innovations and disseminate findings to the HIV community. Current priorities include the following activities:
- Evaluating the impact of information technology on optimizing the delivery and quality of care
- Developing outreach and intervention strategies that target underserved HIV- positive populations not in care
- Supporting the coordination and integration of existing services for Native Americans/Alaska Natives living with HIV and other comorbidities
- Developing demonstration and evaluation models that advance HIV service innovation along the U.S.-Mexico border
- Prevention with HIV-infected patients in primary care settings
- Evaluating innovative methods for integrating buprenorphine opioid abuse treatment in HIV primary care
- Developing models of peer support for Caribbeans living in the U.S.
- Developing outreach, care, and prevention strategies to engage HIV-positive young men who have sex with men of color.
A total of $15 million was set aside for the SPNS Program in FY 2006. |
