Houston HIV Prevention Community Planning Group

In 1993, the CDC mandated the establishment of an HIV community planning group to work collectively with local, territorial, and state departments of health to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic by developing scientifically sound and locally relevant HIV prevention initiatives. This was mandated because of the prevalence of new HIV transmissions in jurisdictions that have the greatest number of new transmissions each year.

Community planning was subsequently implemented by the Houston Health Department  in 1994. In 2012, the CDC removed the mandate for community prevention planning groups, however the Houston Health Department and the Houston community chose to continue to have a working community planning group made up of individuals committed to the work of HIV prevention in Houston.

At any given time, the Houston HIV Prevention Community Planning Group  may consist of up to 35 members.

Purpose

The principal purpose of the HHPCPG is to create a comprehensive plan to address the HIV Prevention needs of the City of Houston.

The process shall include, but is not limited to:

    • Assess the extent, distribution, and impact of HIV/AIDS in defined populations in the community, as well as relevant risk behaviors. This is the starting point for defining future HIV prevention needs in defined, targeted populations within the health department’s jurisdiction.
  • ​​​​​​​Conduct a needs assessment
    • Conduct an assessment of the HIV prevention needs of the populations identified by the epidemiological profile as being at high risk for HIV transmission. Identify met and unmet HIV prevention needs within the high-risk populations defined in the epidemiological profile.
  • Identify potential strategies and interventions
    • Identify potential strategies and interventions that can be used to prevent new HIV transmissions within the high-risk populations defined in the epidemiologic profile, needs assessment, and resource inventory.
  • Identify and implement stakeholder recruitment strategies for membership and partnership
    • Identify potential stakeholders that represent a.) populations with high prevalence of HIV transmission in the Houston Area, b.) HIV service providers, and c.) service providers specializing in co-occurring health and social syndemics. Develop and implement recruitment strategies to form and maintain membership and partnership relationships with stakeholders.
  • Develop and implement an engagement process
    • Develop and implement a collaborative and coordinated engagement process that ensures access and seamless provision of HIV prevention and care services across the treatment cascade.
  • Implement Houston HIV Prevention Community Planning Group comprehensive plan activities
    • Health department and Houston HIV Prevention Community Planning Group will track and keep records on an ongoing basis to evaluate the effectiveness of community planning process and the development and implementation of the comprehensive HIV prevention plan.
  • Evaluate the planning process
    • Health department and HHPCPG will track and keep records on an ongoing basis to evaluate the effectiveness of community planning process and the development and implementation of the comprehensive HIV prevention plan.

CPG Committees and Members

Education & Awareness Committee

  • Ashley Barnes
  • Denise Tovar
  • Justin Frazier
  • Jetaun Burgin
  • Kimmy Palacios
  • Cydney Clay

Status Neutral Systems Committee

  • Kathryn Fergus
  • Ama Williams
  • Ocran Holloway
  • Lamia Bradshaw
  • Adriana Dibello

Outreach & Community Engagement Committee

  • Adonis May
  • Omar Navarro
  • Pieus Bowser
  • Damion Sam
  • Tyvance Credit
  • Abraham Arguello
  • Daisy Perez
  • Robert Williams

Research, Data & Evaluation Committee

  • Steven Vargas
  • Jeffery Meyer
  • Aryana Butler
  • Jill Jahns
  • Bianca DeLeon
  • Jason Thomas
  • Raymond Watts

Policy & Social Determinants Committee

  • Shawn- Kenneth Flintroy
  • Eliot Davis
  • Dekesha Henderson

Quality Assurance Committee

  • Herman Finley
  • Gloria Sierra
  • Michal Ruggerio