We are very proud to announce that in September, ACRIA received a 200K grant from the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) to conduct its acclaimed and highly successful National Technical Assistance & Capacity Building (NTA) in three sites in the hard hit southern United States. ACRIA is especially excited that this year’s grant reflects a 25% increase in funding, which serves to underscore the critical nature of ACRIA’s ongoing work.

The overarching purpose of the NTA program is to empower HIV-positive individuals to take charge of their own healthcare and to become active participants in their own treatment. Additionally, it aims to enable participating agencies and staff to integrate HIV prevention, treatment, and care into their menu of existing programs. NTA is a four-phase program that includes intensive community outreach and needs assessment; comprehensive training, technical assistance (TA), and capacity building assistance (CBA); long-term follow-up; and individual mentoring.

As is the case with all of ACRIA’s programming, sites for NTA are chosen based on high level of HIV and a shortage of local resources. Since the onset of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the South has fallen chronically short of providing comprehensive HIV services. Funds from the EJAF grant will help ACRIA to deepen its work in Memphis, Tennessee; Birmingham, Alabama; and Augusta, Georgia. These sites will provide access to a prime geographical location that will eventually allow participation of organizations in neighboring states.

In partnership with the Elton John AIDS Foundation, ACRIA is excited to have the ability to enrich its work in the South and looks forward to watching as the lives of people with HIV/AIDS improve in these areas.