# TechMPower: Advancing HIV/SUD Care and Service Delivery for People Involved in the Criminal Legal System

> **NIH NIH R61** · COLUMBIA UNIV NEW YORK MORNINGSIDE · 2024 · $1,105,729

## Abstract

Project Summary
HIV prevalence in correctional facilities in the US is about five times greater than in the general
population and about 14% of people living with HIV (PLWH) experience incarceration/release
every year and 15% of those incarcerated do not know their HIV status. Over 50,000 people are
incarcerated in New York state and 1-2% are estimated to be PLWH. Similarly, substance use
disorder (SUD) is highly prevalent among criminal-legal system (CLS)-involved people, with an
estimated 70-80% of US jail detainees having a SUD are at high risk of relapse, overdose-
related mortality and HIV infection post-release. Intervening during incarceration provides an
opportunity to address HIV care in hard-to-reach individuals, though more robust interventions
are needed to improve care continuity. Increasing point-of-care rapid testing would maximize
HIV detection and results receipt among people in jails, and prepare them with needed
knowledge and skills post-release. To fill this gap, we propose a Regional Research Hub (RRH)
and 2-phase, Hybrid Type II effectiveness/implementation study to evaluate the effectiveness of
TechMPower, an intervention that bundles implementation strategies to increase delivery of
evidence-based intervention (EBPs) to prevent adverse HIV-related (new infection, untreated
HIV) and SUD-related outcomes (fatal and non-fatal overdose) among a sample of individuals
(n=1125 ) in 15 New York State county jails.
 In the first phase, we will pilot TechMPower to prepare for the phase two full R33 trial,
informed by PRISM/RE-AIM and the health equity framework, by recruiting in one NYS county
jail (n=50) and an existing HEALing Communities Study coalition to implement the selected
EBPs to increase: 1) HIV screening/testing via self-testing (TRUST); 2) SUD screening/testing
(SBIRT); and 3) access to and uptake of biomedical HIV and SUD prevention and treatment
(PrEP/PEP/ART); overdose education/naloxone distribution [OEND], opioid use disorder
medication [MOUD]) delivered through 4) hybrid linkage (telehealth, face-to-face) to services via
Navigation Enhanced Case Management (NCM). To optimize EBP delivery, TechMPower
applies key implementation strategies including: a) data driven, equity-focused, community
coalitions; b) implementation teams led by champions; c) training in intersectional stigma/harm
reduction for service providers/organizations from CHHANGE; and d) tech-mediated trainings.
This study capitalizes on investigators’ experience in community-driven implementation studies,
EBP design, and equity/anti-stigma approaches to provide evidence for tech-mediated HIV and
SUD service delivery integration in jails with linkages to community-based care.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10908839
- **Project number:** 1R61DA060620-01
- **Recipient organization:** COLUMBIA UNIV NEW YORK MORNINGSIDE
- **Principal Investigator:** Nabila El-Bassel
- **Activity code:** R61 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $1,105,729
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-05-15 → 2025-09-29

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10908839

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10908839, TechMPower: Advancing HIV/SUD Care and Service Delivery for People Involved in the Criminal Legal System (1R61DA060620-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-07-30 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10908839. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*