California Department of Public Health Office of AIDS Strategic Response for African Americans & HIV/AIDS

1. California Department of Public Health Office of AIDSStrategic Response for African Americans & HIV/AIDS Reggie Caldwell, LCSW United States Conference on AIDS November 10, 2007 Palm Springs, California

2. Goal To reduce the disproportionate HIV incidence and prevalence among African Americans in California by providing leadership through the deployment of a CDPH/OA African American Strategic Response.

4. LegislationAssembly Bill 1142-Statewide African American HIV/AIDS Initiative • Addresses the disproportionate impact of HIV/AIDS on the health of African Americans • Establishes the administrative, educational, and communication infrastructure to support the activities of the provider network • Mandates CPDH/OA provides support Initiative until January 1, 2008, when the Initiative would become an independent non-profit organization

5. The Initiative establishes the California African American HIV/AIDS Coalition (CAAHAC) Sacramento Central Valley Bay Area Riverside San Bernardino Los Angeles San Diego

6. Mission Statement The mission of CAAHAC is to address the disproportionate impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the black community and communities of African descent among stakeholders, and prioritize HIV/AIDS as an urgent healthcare issue by: • impacting public policy, • enhancing resource development, and • promoting collaboration.

7. The Steering Committee is comprise of 5 members from each region and 2 members from each region are member of the Board of Directors.

8. Continuum of Risk HIGH RISK LOW RISK • Community and Natural Partners • Schools • Community Health Clinics • Community Services Agencies • Faith-Based Organizations • Primary Focus California Department of Public Health/ Office of AIDS Primary Focus

9. Current Gay men/MSM Women Perinatal Black Infant Health Collaborative HIV Testing in Emergency Departments In Development Youth Policy and Program

10. African American Gay Men/MSM CHPG recommended thatdesignated LHJs create an Action Plan to adequately address the HIV prevention needs of African American gay men/MSM.

11. Action Plan Goals For C&T: To increase testing for HR AA gay men/MSM For HERR: To provide effective HIV prevention services for AA gay men/MSM

12. Action Plan Tenets • Targeted funding • Providers with a history and capacity • Services that are accessible • Address social, cultural, political and economic risk factors • Prevention as health and wellness • Counter isolation/loneliness, depression and outcomes of childhood sexual abuse

13. Perinatal Program Primary Objective:Build capacity to provide rapid HIV testing in every California Labor and Delivery Hospital • Provide rapid HIV test to pregnant women who present to L&D with an undocumented HIV status. • Hospital must be able to turn around HIV test in 1 hour (either by lab or at point-of-care). • Hospital must have oral and IV anti retrovirals available for women who have a preliminary positive result.

14. Primary Activities • Pacific AIDS Education and Training Center provides training to labor and delivery hospitals using the CDC model • Over 20 hospitals have been trained • Office of AIDS Women and Transgender Program and Policy Coordinator provides technical assistance • Stanford University conducts the program evaluation

15. Perinatal HIV Hotline 888-448-8765 National Perinatal HIV Consultation and Referral Service Advice on the HIV management in pregnant women and infants and HIV testing in pregnancy.

16. Black Infant Health Collaborative Program Goals: • To increase awareness and understanding of HIV/AIDS basic science and prenatal transmission • To increase capacity of BIH service providers to effectively discuss HIV related issues (including risk assessments, risk reduction counseling strategies) with their clients

17. Primary Activities • Surveyed BIH program on training needs • Conducting literature review of current materials on women, HIV and maternal child transmission • Develop a curriculum • Conduct training sessions and evaluate the training program

18. HIV Testing in Emergency Departments • The goals • To provide rapid HIV testing within emergency departments, specifically targeting African Americans, and • To link those who test HIV positive to HIV services. • CDC funded demonstration project • Hospitals: • Alameda County Health Center/Highland • Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, and • San Francisco General Hospital

19. Program Activities • Screening • HIV testing • Notification of Results • Post Test Services • HIV Positive • Linkage to care • Partner counseling and referral services • Comprehensive medical and psycho-social assessment • Risk reduction counseling • Linkages to ancillary services • Incentivized social networking strategy • HIV Negative • Referral to HIV prevention services

20. Social Network Outreach “Social Networks is all about breaking from the old model of just doing outreach. A main goal of social networking is to prevent HIV. What is put into the community in terms of knowledge and awareness is better than just random testing of people.”

21. Youth Initiative Concept • Holistic approach addressing physical, mental and spiritual health • Community mobilization/community empowerment model • Create a model that is “trauma informed” • Focus on education and reducing possible risk • Peer involvement

22. Stages of Development Pre-adolescence Adolescence Young adulthood Build on resiliencies and strengths Media/advertising Access factors Social Economic Cultural Service Venues Schools Home Extra-curricula environments Youth Initiative Concept

23. Contact Information Reggie Caldwell, LCSW African American Policy and Program Coordinator California Department of Public Health Office of AIDS Reggie.caldwell@cdph.ca.gov 916-449-5811