Application deadline: July 8, 2016

Application available at: https://highmarkfoundationrfp.versaic.com/login

2016 Request for Proposals (RFP)

Engaging and Empowering Communitiesto Address HIV/AIDS and STDs

Evidence-based

Please note:

The RFP is exclusively for service providers and organizations located in central Pennsylvania, western Pennsylvania and West Virginia that provide care for those at risk for or affected by HIV/AIDS and STDs.

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IntroductionThe Highmark Foundation (Foundation), a 501 (c)(3) private, charitable organization dedicated to improving the health, well-being and quality of life for individuals and communities throughout the areas served by Highmark Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates, is pleased to announce a Request for Proposals (RFP), Engaging and Empowering Communities to Address HIV/AIDS and STDs.

Today, an estimated 1.2 million people in the United States are living with HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). The face of HIV/AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) is changing. While in its early years the HIV epidemic affected primarily males and the young, now the HIV-infected population comprises 24 percent women, and its age composition has shifted toward older ages. Aging with HIV infection also presents special challenges for preventing and managing comorbid conditions such as hypertension, heart disease, diabetes and cancer. The look of AIDS as a chronic disease has also changed as a result of the advances in HIV treatment over the last three decades. A diagnosis of AIDS is no longer a death sentence. Combination antiretroviral therapy improves health, prolongs life and substantially reduces the risk of HIV transmission.

In addition, there is a link between HIV and STDs (sexually-transmitted diseases). STDs are on the rise. Recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data for three nationally reported STDs — chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis — show staggering numbers, with cases of all three diseases increasing for the first time since 2006. Individual risk behaviors aren’t the only cause. Environmental, social, and cultural factors and difficulty accessing quality health care contribute to the higher STD burden. Given the close link between STD and HIV, it seems obvious that treating STDs should reduce the risk of HIV. However, studies that have lowered the risk of STD in communities have not necessarily lowered the risk of HIV.

HIV/AIDS and STDs continue to be pervasive public health concerns, impacting every sector of society. As a result, the Foundation is making mini-grants available to organizations that provide care, treatment and education for those impacted by these chronic diseases. The Foundation’s strategy includes supporting effective, evidence-based programs with proven data-driven outcomes that help reduce costs, minimize barriers and get people into care earlier. Programs and services should help populations manage medical and social conditions that accompany HIV/AIDS and STDs. The Foundation is seeking proposals that have the potential enhance or streamline access and reduce or eliminate barriers to needed services.

The Foundation’s overall action plan includes providing funding to organizations to:

• Evaluate effectiveness, accessibility and quality population-based HIV/AIDS programs and services

• Inform, educate and empower people about HIV/AIDS and STDs

• Mobilize community partnerships

• Develop other strategies for delivering cost-effective clinical and social services and improving community well-being

Funding will also provide high-quality, innovative HIV/AIDS education, prevention and awareness programs designed to meet the needs of those residing in urban and rural communities.

Highmark FoundationRequest for Proposals (RFP)

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Getting Started Each organization is eligible to receive a one-year mini-grant up to $10,000 to implement measurable actions and/or interventions to address barriers to the health and well-being of its residents and communities. Grant awards will be based on level of need, clarity of implementation plan, and ability to demonstrate qualitative and quantitative outcomes.

Grant activity will begin on September 30, 2016, and conclude no later than September 29, 2017. An interim report is due on March 15, 2017, and a final report is due on November 15, 2017. The RFP can be downloaded and printed from the Highmark Foundation’s website: www.highmarkfoundation.org. The application is available online at: https://highmarkfoundationrfp.versaic.com/login. Please contact the Foundation at 1-866-594-1730 if you need assistance.

Purpose

The Foundation has a history of addressing the health care needs of individuals and communities served by Highmark Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates. As a result of the increasing incidence of HIV/AIDS and STDs among injection drug users, people who engage in high-risk behaviors and older adults (particularly women), the Foundation realizes that a comprehensive, multifaceted approach will be needed to improve the quality of treatment, services and education delivered to all communities.

HIV/AIDS organizations work hard to deliver the best services; however, their efforts are often challenged and limited by insufficient funding locally, regionally and nationally to develop new and sustain existing programs and services; lack of a well-resourced, sustainable, efficient and affordable chronic care model; and the myth that the rates of HIV/AIDS and STDs have declined. These organizations, often grassroots, provide

services and, in some cases, treatment for large numbers of diverse populations. To do so more effectively, they need help with streamlined monitoring, reducing barriers to care, increasing program retention and reducing costs.

Across the nation, HIV/AIDS organizations are changing the way services and programs are delivered as a result of age, changing attitudes regarding sexual norms and behaviors, and the fact that people are living longer and healthier with HIV/AIDS as a result of newer medications. Organizations are now working strategically across sectors to reduce disparities and inequalities in care. More important, organizations also think purposefully about how to engage and empower communities to create conditions for health, safety and equity, but at the same time, they struggle to provide essential services that meet community need.

HIV/AIDS organizations have the potential to demonstrate new and sustainable ways to address increased incidence and prevalence of HIV/AIDS and STDs, develop replicable programs in other communities and illustrate the effectiveness of early intervention and preventive health programs with this funding opportunity. The Foundation will provide funding to organizations working to: Reduce Stigma and Discrimination, Provide Access to Services and Treatment, and Deliver Quality Prevention/Education programs. With these grants, organizations may expand traditional services community-wide.

Target PopulationOrganizations providing HIV/AIDS and STD programs and services located in central Pennsylvania, western Pennsylvania and the state of West Virginia (see map on Page 5). vit

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Priority Funding Areas

Submitted proposals must include how each organization will use programs to help reduce barriers to care for individuals in communities they serve. Strategies should demonstrate measurable outcomes, and address population health through only one of the following three categories:

1. Reducing Stigma and Discrimination

HIV-related stigma, which was highly prevalent during the early years of the response, has lessened over time. However, stigma and disparities remain sufficiently prevalent to constitute an important ongoing challenge for addressing the issue. Programs to address these causes can involve a variety of approaches, including:

• Measurement of HIV-related stigma through the People Living with HIV Stigma Index (www.stigmaindex.org), which provides a tool that measures and detects changing trends in relation to stigma and discrimination experienced by HIV, including in health care settings and communities

• Community interaction and focus group discussions involving people living with HIV and members of populations vulnerable to HIV infection

• Use of media, including advertising campaigns, entertainment designed to educate as well, and integration of non-stigmatizing messages into TV and radio shows

• Engagement with religious and community leaders

• Inclusion of non-discrimination as part of institutional and workplace policies in employment and educational settings

• Peer mobilization and support developed for and by people living with HIV aimed at promoting health, well-being and human rights

2. Ensuring Access to Services and Treatment

HIV-specific funding vehicles and targeted care and treatment programs had to be created to help fill gaps in coverage and services. There is still a struggle to effectively link HIV-infected persons with recommended care and treatment. Testing and knowing HIV status is the first step. Funded programs could support:

• Linking patients from testing to care with integrated health services using a well-functioning referral system

• Identifying the populations that most need additional prevention support and that have sufficient familiarity with pre-exposure prophylaxis and are willing and able to use it

• Expanding HIV and STD testing and counseling; this includes community-based testing

• Integrating HIV and STD testing with other disease campaigns or health fairs

• Using community health workers to improve linkages and retention in HIV/AIDS care

3. Providing Prevention/Education Programs

Although general public awareness campaigns are common, it is important to develop more targeted approaches to reach identified populations. STD prevention should not be separate from HIV/AIDS prevention programs. Although a person is HIV positive, prevention is still necessary to reduce the spread of infection. Funded programs could include:

• Expansion of effective treatment and evidence-based prevention interventions

• Adoption of an existing approved prevention education model from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• Awareness-raising campaigns that provide information about issues such as rights and laws related to HIV through media (e.g., TV, radio, print, Internet webinars and webcasts)

• Community mobilization and education, peer outreach and telephone hotlines

GoalsWith this RFP, the Foundation will provide grants in central Pennsylvania, western Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The goals of the RFP are to:

1. Improve access to community health programs, treatment and services.

2. Support the development and implementation of evidence-based or innovative best practice strategies designed to change or improve community health systems.

3. Provide organizations with funding support. As a result, organizations will be required to measure, monitor and track outcomes; and to report qualitative and quantitative results.

Implementation and MonitoringIf awarded a grant, organizations will face great expectations. Grantees will be expected to include an acknowledgment of the Highmark Foundation’s funding for the project in all press releases, newsletters, brochures, annual reports, websites and other promotional materials. By doing so, these organizations will help the community understand how the Highmark Foundation supports outstanding organizations in the region. Before any print material (newsletter, brochure or press release) is sent for publicity, it must be approved by the Highmark Foundation.

Adams

Allegheny

Armstrong

Elk

Beaver

Berks

Bedford

Cambria

Clear�eld

Clinton

Huntingdon

Blair

Bradford

Bucks

Butler

Cameron

CarbonCentre

Chester

Clarion

Columbia

Crawford

Cumberland

Dauphin

Erie

Fayette

Forest

FranklinFultonGreene

Indiana

Je�erson

Juniata

Lackawanna

Lancaster

Lawrence

Lebanon

Lehigh

Luzerne

Lycoming

McKean

Mercer

Mi�in

Monroe

Montgomery

Montour

Northumberland

Philad

elphia

Pike

Potter

Schuylkill

Snyder

Somerset

Sullivan

SusquehannaTioga

Union

Venango

Warren

Washington

Wayne

Westmoreland

Wyoming

York

Perry

Delaware

Northampton

CS206134

West Virginia

Western PA

Central PA

Outside Service Region —Ineligible for funding

Service Region

Grantees are expected to participate in technical assistance webinars and a learning collaborative that will be established to support projects. The learning collaborative is a vehicle for executive staff of HIV/AIDS service providers and organizations to report outcomes from their projects. The time and location will be determined. Foundation staff will also conduct periodic visits and meetings to monitor program progress, to discuss outcomes, and to work with grantees on agreed-upon metrics. The Highmark Foundation expects projects to be sustainable after the grant period.

Award Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be judged according to the following criteria and the grantees’ ability to achieve the following aims, including enhancing the quality of activities, programs and services; and creating innovative approaches to improve the health of populations. Funding is not to be used to purchase medications or pharmaceuticals.

1. Develop practical culturally competent interventions that demonstrate ability to expand and to ensure that programs, treatment and services are available to meet community needs. Education, care and treatment should be coordinated and comprehensive to obtain the best results. Strategies should have long-term results that will improve efficiency of care through collaborations with other local or regional health improvement partnerships.

2. Develop programs that significantly impact public health and engage communities in addressing disparities in HIV/AIDS care, treatment and education with new delivery models focused on reducing incidence of HIV/AIDS and STDs.

3. Develop measurable outcomes. Measurable outcomes should be demonstrated from investing in and making sure diverse populations receive HIV testing and appropriate linkages to a coordinated system of care.

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Mission and FocusThe Highmark Foundation is a private, charitable organization dedicated to improving the health, well-being and quality of life for individuals and communities throughout the areas served by Highmark Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates. We fulfill our mission by awarding high-impact grants to charitable organizations that implement evidence-based programs aimed at improving community health. Central to the Foundation’s mission is identifying and continuously re-evaluating our region’s prevailing health care needs. By doing so, the Foundation remains at the forefront of those needs, well equipped to pinpoint issues that most urgently need support.

Sources:

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (2016). Strategies for improving the lives of women aged 40 and above living with HIV/AIDS. Retrieved from https://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/ehc/products/637/2194/women-hiv-protocol-160301.pdf

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2015). STDs and HIV — CDC fact sheet. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/std/hiv/stdfact-std-hiv-detailed.htm

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016). STD awareness month. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/std/sam/

Deeks, S. G., Lewin, S. R., & Havlir, D. V. (2013). The end of AIDS: HIV infection as a chronic disease. Lancet, 382(9903), 1525–1533. http://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(13)61809-7

Isbell, M., Kates, J., & Michaud, J. (2012). Responding to AIDS at home & abroad: how the U.S. and other high income countries compare. Menlo Park, CA: Kaiser Family Foundation. Retrieved from https://kaiserfamilyfoundation.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/8336.pdf

Magic Johnson Foundation. (2016). Retrieved from magicjohnson.org.

UNAIDS (2012). Key programmes to reduce stigma and discrimination and increase access to justice in national HIV responses. Geneva: UNAIDS. Retrieved from http://www.unaids.org/sites/default/files/media_asset/Key_Human_Rights_Programmes_en_May2012_0.pdf

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www.highmarkfoundation.org

1-866-594-1730