TRI-COUNTY STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING
November 12 2025, 10:05am-11:35am
By Zoom Videoconference
DRAFT MINUTES
Members Present: J. Palmer (Co-chair), L. Cyrus (Co-chair), M. Acevedo, V. Alvarez, L. Bucknor, V. Carlone, M. Diaz, J. Gago, P. Germinaro, L. Hakim, K. Palencia-Lua, A. Pizarro, K. Scott, S. Thomas
Members Absent: R. Agarwal, L. Best, J. Braithwaite, A. Contreras, J. Gobler, A. Hardman, B. Malloy, A. Milian, A. Ruggiero, P. Tang
Other PC Members Present: D. Martin (Community Co-chair),J. Schoepp, B. Fields
Staff Present: NYC DOHMH: D. Klotz (Governmental Co-Chair), L. Moya-Adames, A. Omeyoma, J. Acosta, S. Kramer, N. Montero
Agenda Item # 1: Roll Call/Moment of Silence/Announcements
LaShonda and Julian opened the meeting with a roll call of members followed by a moment of silence. The minutes for the October 8th 2025 meeting were approved with no changes.
John S. invited Tri-County (TC) consumers to attend the Council’s Consumers Committee to work collaboratively across the EMA.
Agenda Item #2: Updates
Recipient Report
Sara reported updates from HRSA and other federal partners, including marking the 35th anniversary of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, National Latinx HIV Awareness Day, and National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day, which highlights the growing population of people with HIV aged 50 years and older and the unique needs and challenges. HRSA also published an emergency preparedness guide for people with HIV in the event of natural disasters and emergency situations. On July 24, HRSA released the final RWHAP Part A award for the New York Eligible Metropolitan Area (NY EMA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025. The EMA received a total approved funding amount of $89,662,231 (previously reported to the Council).
Last month, the Recipient released an updated webpage on the housing services available for people with HIV and their household members in New York, which include a comprehensive overview of the RWHAP Part A and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) programs. The Recipient also recently submitted two reporting requirements to HRSA that are integral to the management of RWPA funding: FY 2026 Non-Competing Continuation (NCC) Progress Report, and the Program Terms Report.
The 2025 Annual RWPA NY EMA Quality Management Provider Meeting took place on July 29th with the theme “Cultivating Strength: Growing Together in Community.” The event included a workshop conducted by the Council’s Consumers Committee on the utilization of client advisory boards for quality improvement. On July 21st, BHHS hosted its second annual Zero HIV Stigma Day, bringing together over 100 attendees to advance health equity and disrupt HIV-related stigma in care settings.
Planning Council and Federal Administration Update
David K. reported that the Council held its first meeting of the new planning cycle on October 30th, welcoming 11 new members. The Executive Committee and full Council will start considering the revised TC services directives at the next meeting, starting with Medical Case Management, Oral Health and Transportation.
HRSA is planning to revise the formula used for Ryan White Part A and B awards to use current address, rather than address at diagnosis. HRSA estimates that this will result in the NY EMA receiving a 2% increase over 5 years. An update was also provided on the federal 2026 budget and the government shutdown.
Agenda Item #3: RWPA Mental Health Services (MHT) Service Directive
Program Overview
Sara presented an overview on the Tri-County Ryan White Part A Mental Health Services (MHT). A new service directive is required from the Tri-County Steering Committee for a rebid of the program in 2026 for services beginning March 1, 2027. The goals of the program are: to provide treatment and counseling services to individuals living with HIV and mental illness, with or without co-occurring substance use disorders; improve quality of life and mental health functioning; facilitate continued engagement in biological, psychological and psychosocial care and treatment including adherence to anti-retroviral treatment (ART) and/or psychotropic medications. General eligibility includes RWPA criteria (residence in EMA, income level, etc.) and a DSM-5 mental health diagnosis. Program activities include: assessment and planning, mental health counseling, psych evaluations and visits, substance use counseling, treatment adherence, and service coordination (e.g., client assistance and accompaniment). There is currently one TC program, located in Westchester County. The program has reported challenges recruiting new clients, regular attendance at appointments and groups and high turnover for staffing, especially during the COVID pandemic. Reported successes include highly active groups and full spending of funds.
Noelisa presented program data from a fact sheet, including client demographics (50%, 35% Black, 62% women, 88% Westchester residents), and priority populations (53% are PWH over 50 and 50% women of color). The number of active clients was 37 in 2022 and 34 in 2024. The most commonly provided service types were client assistance (226 units of service in 2024), coordination with service providers (194), client engagement (167) and mental health counseling (147). The program was able to absorb additional funds in 2022 and spent close to their original allocations in 2023 and 2024.
Draft Service Directive Revisions
David K. presented a revised draftof the directive, incorporating revisions made to the most recent NYC MH directive and adding innovations based on data and research collected by Doienne Saab to ensure the language and service model are reflective of the needs of PWH, update aims to align the service model with current best practices, integrate equity and stigma-reduction goals, and reflect new tools available to providers. Details of the proposed revisions include:
- Incorporation language to apply the Council’s Framing Directive.
- Require reassessments every 6-12 months to identify unmet medical and social service needs
- Provide crisis intervention and stabilization as needed
- Deliver psychiatric evaluations, medication management/monitoring, and counseling on medication side effects. Provide linkage to inpatient psychiatric care when needed
- Services may be delivered in-person or via telehealth to accommodate client accessibility needs and preferences
- Maintain a directory of after-hours/crisis services to ensure same- or next-day linkages
- Use of the Ryan White Part A Google Maps directory and other resources to connect clients to nearby primary care, HIV care, and mental health services
- Support adherence with tools like smart pillboxes and digital check-ins. Refer complex cases to Medical Case Management for DOT
- Recruit staff reflective of the communities served and train them in cultural humility, crisis intervention, mental health first aid, trauma-informed care, and IPV awareness
- Programs should prioritize populations with high mental health needs (aging, LGBTQ)
The Committee reached a consensus to adopt the updated directive as presented.
The next service directive to revise and discuss will be the Food & Nutrition Services category.
Agenda Item #4: Consumer Update
Maria and Victor stressed the importance of maintaining linkages to services. The app Propel can be useful to keep track of benefits and get updates on government programs. Also, issues of aging, such as falls, continues to be a priority for TC consumers. Finally, there is a need to educate providers on updated medical standards and changes in HIV care and treatment.
The Next Steering Committee Meeting will be held on Tuesday, December 10, 2025 10-12:00 AM.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.
