This announcement solicits applications for the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) Integrated HIV Planning Implementation cooperative agreement.  The purpose of this cooperative agreement is to provide technical assistance to RWHAP Parts A and B recipients and their planning bodies to support activities

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and strategies for integrating HIV planning across prevention and care and treatment service delivery systems, and to support activities related to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)/Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Integrated HIV Prevention and Care Plan submissions.

The geographic range of the activities is nationwide.

In collaboration with HRSA and CDC, the funded entity will provide technical assistance to accomplish four main objectives:  To develop review tools and processes for the Integrated HIV Prevention and Care Plans, including the Statewide Coordinated Statement of Need; To develop strategies, tools, and trainings for RWHAP recipients and planning bodies to identify and support activities to integrate planning across prevention and care and treatment service delivery systems; To deliver targeted technical assistance in a select number of jurisdictions to facilitate integrated planning; To support peer learning opportunities across RWHAP recipients and planning bodies.

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention (DHAP) encourage RWHAP and HIV prevention program recipients at the local and state levels to integrate planning activities; such activities encompass joint comprehensive needs assessment, information and data sharing, cross representation on prevention and care planning bodies, coordinated/combined projects, combined meetings, and fully merged planning bodies.

 Overall, planning groups are encouraged to streamline their approaches to HIV planning.  Effective planning is imperative for effective local and state decision making to develop systems of prevention and care that are responsive to the needs of persons at risk for HIV infection and people living with HIV (PLWH).  Activities to collaborate are supported by HRSA and CDC and are a necessity in the development of an integrated plan.

 Community engagement is an essential component for planning comprehensive, effective HIV prevention and care programs.  This cooperative agreement will assist HRSA RWHAP and CDC HIV prevention program recipients to move forward with these efforts.