With a focus on LGBTQ youth, the Positive Pathways Project of Needham, Massachusetts–based JRI Heath is receiving nearly $1 million from the federal government to support its work to help Suffolk County youth who are at risk of substance abuse and HIV/AIDS.
The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration will grant JRI Health nearly $200,000 a year for five years for the JRI Positive Pathways Project.
The Project will work with racial and ethnic minority youth, ages 13 to 29, with a focus on LGBTQ youth, as well as those who inject drugs, have HIV, and are experiencing housing instability, mental illness, and/or sexual exploitation.
The assistance will range from environmental strategies, such as online awareness and educational campaigns, to one-on-one interventions addressing HIV and substance use disorder and care.
JRI Health, a division of Justice Resource Institute (JRI), is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of underserved individuals and communities living with and at risk for HIV and hepatitis C. They offer a continuum of services to mitigate the social and health determinants while incorporating state-of-the-art best practices and standards of care.