HARC (HIV/AIDS Re-entry Coalition) is a group of stakeholders in Dallas led by Dr. Nijhawan who address the HIV treatment and prevention care cascades for individuals who are incarcerated or recently released. Members meet quarterly and include individuals who provide services (medical, care coordination, substance use treatment, research) in the jail or in the community as well as people with lived experience of incarceration and HIV.
The mission of HARC
- To improve the continuum of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and HIV care for incarcerated and recently released individuals
- Increase HIV testing in jail
- Improve linkage to care programs, improve access for more patients
- Decrease the community HIV viral load in the jail and the communities where incarcerated people return to after release
- Emphasize Undetectable=Untransmittable (U=U) for all patients
- Address barriers to care continuity including stigma and substance use
- Expand the knowledge of resources available for those incarcerated and recently released
- Improve communication between correctional and community stakeholders
- Study the impacts of changes implemented by the group on the continuum of PrEP and HIV care for people who have recently been released