In order to operate a Syringe Services Program (SSP) within your Health Center Program scope of project and use new or existing Health Center Program funds, your health center must request prior approval from HRSA via EHBs.
HRSA must review and approve the prior approval request before Health Center Program funding can be used to support proposed SSP costs, as allowable.
Your health center’s state or local health department, in conjunction with CDC, must also have determined that the jurisdiction your health center is located within “is experiencing, or is at risk for, a significant increase in hepatitis infections or an HIV outbreak due to injection drug use.”
For full information, see the Health Center Program Compliance FAQs webpage.
Further federal guidance on SSPs is available at:
- HRSA-Specific Implementation Guidance to Support Certain Components of SSPs (PDF) – Published on HIV.gov, 2016
- CDC’s SSPs webpage
- HIV.gov’s SSPs webpage