Our Criminal Justice Initiative, which provides HIV education and linkage to care for those incarcerated in NY state prisons in Sullivan County, recently received an enhancement to include Hepatitis C (HCV) services.
Our new HCV Linkage Specialist will work with known HCV+ individuals within the correctional facilities, including an action plan for their treatment, working with the medical unit in each prison, and making referrals to medical care. Our staff will also provide transitional planning for those being released from prison so that they can remain linked to care, housing and other services. The Linkage Specialist will identify any barriers that HCV+ incarcerated individuals might have to seeking treatment and help them to overcome those obstacles.
Medical staff within New York State’s Department of Corrections & Community Supervision report large numbers of incarcerated individuals who are HCV+, so we are grateful to be offering this service.