Hep C Prevention in Youth Meeting Highlights

December 20, 2016

Committee Updates

Daniel Calder MPH and Nirah Johnson LCSW, NYC Health Dept (dcalder@health.nyc.gov) (njohnso2@health.nyc.gov)

Professional Committee Responsibilities

Provide feedback on NYC Health Dept Initiatives
Develop and disseminate Hep C Prevention in youth video
Support youth internship

Youth internship Responsibilities

Provide feedback on NYC Health Dept Initiatives
Serve as social media ambassadors
Work on education awareness projects
The Youth Internship Program was officially launched in November. Eleven college students will be interning until July 2017.

NYC Health Department Hep C Surveillance Update

Angelica Bocour MPH, Viral Hepatitis Surveillance Director, NYC Health Dept (abocour@health.nyc.gov)

The NYC Health Dept. plans on using SaTScan to identify spatio-temporal clusters of young people (16-29) newly infected with Hep C.
Viral Hep will collaborate with others in DOHMH working with young people and opioid use (e.g., Bureau of
Alcohol and Drug Use Prevention, Care and Treatment, School Health)
Viral Hep will also collaborate with external partners via the Hep Free NYC Hep C Prevention in Youth Initiative
View presentation here

Group Discussion – Thoughts and feedback on NYC Health Dept Potential Project Next Steps

When we identify these clusters of young people with Hep C, we should have an appropriate response. Disseminate some educational resources in areas most impacted. Disseminate in a college area, or faith or community organization where people are accustomed to attending.
BronxWorks can serve as an example for engaging in outreach with young people at risk for Hep C. They have a homeless outreach team that goes out and engages with homeless people, including youth on a personal level.
BronxWorks has maps where drug use is most likely occurring. The outreach team then goes to these areas and builds trust with homeless people, provides them resources, connects them to care.
One current issue at the NYC Health Dept. – we are not sure the percent of newly Hep C infected young people who are actually homeless. How can we learn more about the youth who are reported with Hep C, while keeping in mind confidentiality? (Only info we receive now is name, age, and address.)

Group Discussion – How do we get Hep resources to agencies and educate people most at risk.

Giving 15 resources is not useful. Better to have all information in one material.
Provide resources at pharmacies in areas most impacted with Hep C.
Keep it local. Have community leaders distribute resources in their own community. This builds trust.
Create a public education committee. This committee will bring materials to community organizations and community events.
Staten Island is seeing a spike in injection drug use when young people hit 18 years old. It is worth educating students in high school about IDU and Hep C as a way of prevention.
Peer Health Exchange trains college students to teach a skills-based health curriculum in under-resourced high schools across the country. Several of our interns work for the program and will incorporate a Hep C component in the curriculum.
We should determine which Hep Free NYC partners are doing education in schools, and how we can incorporate Hep C info into their existing curriculum.

Harm Reduction Coalition Hep C in Youth Focused Training – Updates & NY City Council Funded Check Hep C and NYC Hep C Peer Navigation Program

Mike Selick MSW, Hep C Program Coordinator, Harm Reduction Coalition (selick@harmreduction.org)

Harm Reduction Coalition provides a Hep C Prevention with Young People who Injects Drugs training. The training is free and held several times a year. To view upcoming trainings and to register, visit their calendar.

Check Hep C Patient Navigation Program

In 2016, NYC Council allocated $430,502 for Check Hep C to fund five organizations to hire patient navigators to provide linkage to care and clinical care coordination services.
From January 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016, Check Hep C served 722 patients living with Hep C. In that time, 358 started treatment and have likely been cured.

NYC Hep C Peer Navigation Program at Syringe Exchange Programs

In 2016, NYC Council allocated $337,504 for the Hep C Peer Navigation Program to fund 15 Injection Drug User Health Alliance (IDUHA) syringe exchange programs to hire peer navigators to provide outreach to people at risk for Hep C, prevention services, navigation through complete diagnostic testing, linkage to care, retention in care and reinfection prevention.
From January 1, 2014 to June 30, 2016, 3,664 people living with or risk for Hep C were enrolled and received Hep C health coaching and prevention services and testing if needed. 472 Hep C patients were referred to medical care and 51 were known to have started Hep C treatment.

View Check Hep C and the Hep C Peer Navigation Program 2016 Final Reports.

Youth Video Screening

Jazmin Rivera MPH, Tackling Youth Substance Abuse Project Coordinator (jazmin@sipcw.org)

The Hep C Task Force, in partnership with Tackling Youth Substance Abuse received a grant from Birds Nest Foundation to create a video – highlighting how prescription medication misuse can lead to intranasal or injection drug use, which can lead to Hep C infection.
The video will be finalized by the end of January 2017. As a group, we will help distribute and screen the video.

Next Steps

Collaborate and decide on ways to collect info about young people reported with Hep C, while maintaining confidentiality.
Create a public education committee. This committee will bring Hep C materials to community organizations and events.
Determine which Hep Free NYC partners are doing education in schools, and decide how we can incorporate Hep C info into their existing curriculum.
Provide Hep C info in the Peer Health Exchange curriculum.
When finalized, distribute the Hep C Prevention in Youth video.

In Attendance

Angela Dellarocca, Hep C Prevention in Youth Intern, CUNY Brooklyn College, angeladellarocca@gmail.com

Angelica Bocour, Viral Hepatitis Surveillance Director, DOHMH, abocour@health.nyc.gov

Ann Winters, Medical Director, Viral Hepatitis, DOHMH, awinters@health.nyc.gov

Daniel Calder, Outreach Coordinator, DOHMH, dcalder@health.nyc.gov

Henrich Boahene, Program Specialist, BronxWorks, hboahene@bronxworks.org

Jazmin Rivera ,TYSA Project Coordinator, Staten Island Partnership for Community Wellness, jazmin@sipcw.org

Leanne Demery, Program Specialist, BronxWorks, ldemery@bronxworks.org

Mariam Steinblatt, Hep C Prevention in Youth Intern, CUNY Hunter College, mjsteinblatt@gmail.com

Melissa Ip, Program Coordinator, DOHMH, mip@health.nyc.gov

Mike Selick, Hepatitis C Coordinator, Harm Reduction Coalition, selick@harmreduction.org

Mitsuka Attys, Hep C Prevention in Youth Intern, CUNY Brooklyn College, attys@gmail.com

Nirah Johnson, Director of Program Implementation & Capacity Building, DOHMH, njohnso2@health.nyc.gov

Saumik Islam, Hep C Prevention in Youth Intern, CUNY Brooklyn College, saumikislam4@gmail.com

Timeka Toussaint, Program Specialist, BronxWorks, ttoussaint@bronxworks.org

Wendy Ledesma, Prevention Program Coordinator, BOOM Health, wledesma@boomhealth.org

Tags: Hep C Prevention in Youth Committee