PEER Center News

The National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC) has announced the Recruitment and Retention into Care Program, a national training designed to develop, improve and expand comprehensive services targeting communities severely impacted by HIV/AIDS. The goal of the program is to improve access, quality of care and coordination of health care services for people living with HIV/AIDS who are multiply diagnosed, located in or around rural areas and/or racial ethnic minorities.

There are two trainings scheduled:

At the APHA Conference in Philadelphia in November, PACT and PEER Center staff will be making a roundtable presentation entitled "Building the Capacity of HIV Peer Educators as part of Interdisciplinary Teams to meet the Needs of the Underserved". A peer educator will discuss the successes and challenges encountered with training and strategies for sustaining the peer programs as part of HIV care.

This Webcast was held on Wednesday, July 1. The recording will be available soon on the HRSA HIV/AIDS Bureau Web Conference page.

Abstract

The PEER Center and the Peer Education Training Sites invite all Ryan White grantees and individuals interested in learning more about recruiting, hiring and supporting HIV-positive peers in providing HIV care and treatment to participate in this HRSA HIV/AIDS Bureau Conference Webcast.

The National Quality Center /NQC (a quality improvement initiative funded through the Human Resources and Services Administration HIV/AIDS Bureau) is helping link Ryan White grantees with one another to provide expertise in integrating key quality measures into existing data systems. Here is an excerpt from the May NQC eNewsletter:

On April 15, the PEER Center and the Peer Education Training Sites presented a Webcast about the roles of peers in providing HIV Care and Treatment. About 120 participants attended the event. To access the recording of the Webcast, visit the HRSA HAB Web Conference page and click the "Recording" button next to the April 15 presentation, Role of Peers in HIV Care and Treatment.

Presentation slides (PDF)

This daylong event, “A Webinar Series on Women & HIV: Clinical Concepts from WHICC (Women & HIV International Clinical Conference)” is organized by the Texas/Oklahoma AIDS Education & Training Center. The target audience is providers--physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers and case managers--who wish to obtain state-of-the-art, evidence-based, multidisciplinary education on the care of women with HIV. Continuing Medical Education Credits are available.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released a report entitled "Ryan White CARE Act: Implementation of the New Minority AIDS Initiative Provisions." This report details how changes in the funding structure of the Ryan White CARE Act has altered the programs and services delivered by grantees. View GAO report

The MAC AIDS Fund (MAF) Community Grants Program supports organizations working to address the link between Poverty and AIDS. They are currently accepting applications for funding of up to USD $50,000. Visit their website to determine eligibility criteria before applying.

AIDS Alliance for Children, Youth & Families is offering a limited number of youth scholarships to attend the 15th annual Voices conference, entitled Toward a World Without AIDS. This year's conference takes place from May 16 – 19, 2009 at the Doubletree Hotel Crystal City in Arlington, Virginia.

Integrating Peer Educators as Part of the Health Care Team

Registration is now open for the Voices Conference, sponsored by AIDS Alliance for Children, Youth & Families, which will take place in Arlington, VA May 16 - 18.
View conference packet (PDF)

The December 2008 issue of POZ Magazine includes a quote from LaTrischa Miles, treatment adherence specialist at Kansas City Free Health Clinic about the importance of staff maintaining a non-judgmental attitude in HIV testing environments. Check it out online in the Positive Thinking section of the December issue.

For the record, LaTrischa tells us the part that says "Doctors, nurses...are you listening" are not part of her quote, just the paragraph above that section.

The PEER Center and its partners conducted a webcast on December 16th, 2008 entitled "Models for Integrating Peers into HIV/AIDS Care and Treatment." The webcast focused on three successful peer program models and touched on several topics including peer roles and responsibilities, program structure, recruitment and retention, supervision, support, challenges, and outcomes.

The webcast included presentations from three peer programs:

Alicia Downes (People to People) and Paul Colson (PACT Program) presented at the 16th Annual HIV/AIDS Update Conference, Border Health Summit presented by the Valley AIDS Council on October 29th. Participants included members of the Texas Valley AIDS Council, staff members from various agencies across Texas as well as representatives from Mexico, Africa, and India.

Part D: Coordinated HIV Services and Access to Research for WICY-Supplemental Funds:

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced this grant forecast opportunity for current Part D grantees, with an anticipated post date of 2/3/2009 and an application deadline of 3/6/2009.
View Part D Coordinated HIV Services grant forecast opportunity on HHS site

The State Partnership Grant Program to Improve Minority Health seeks to facilitate the improvement of minority health and elimination of health disparities by addressing data needs, partnership development, systems development, health areas, and/or workforce diversity. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has announced this grant forecast opportunity, with an anticipated post date of 4/1/2009 and an application deadline of 6/1/2009.

A new supplemental surveillance report was recently published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The report, entitled Cases of HIV Infection and AIDS in the United States and Dependent Areas, by Race/Ethnicity, 2002–2006, complements the information in the 2006 HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report by presenting data on HIV and AIDS diagnoses stratified by race/ethnicity.

Justice Resource Institute's John Ruiz, Director of Positive Prevention, is quoted

A .pdf version of the brochure outlining the role of peers