WORKSHOP 1: FAITH, SPIRITUALITY AND HIV: BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS
TO HIV PREVENTION
Facilitators: Pernessa Seele, Balm in Gilead & Paul Grant and Tracy Middleton-Grant,
Ascender Communications
Purpose or Significance
1) To utilize segments from the documentary film, ‘The Gospel of Healing: Black Churches Respond to HIV/AIDS,’ to raise awareness and highlight models of faithbased partnerships between institutions to test, link and retain PLWHA in care.
2) To inform leaders of the faith-based organizations, about how they can increase their networks of community support
3) To facilitate discussion that explores the differences and similarities in the strategies being implemented by international and domestic faithbased programs to eradicate stigma and prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS
4) To encourage the workshop attendees to contribute their experiences and share lessons
learned from their efforts.
New Knowledge and Skills
By the end of the session participants will:
1) Be familiar with several models of faithbased HIV prevention, testing and linkage to care;
2) Know how community partnerships can assist with HIV testing, linking and retaining PLWHA in care;
3) Be able to describe key elements that faith institutions can use to increase their networks to test and link HIV positive persons to care;
4) Be able to discuss factors that facilitate, or impede implementation of HIV prevention efforts within faith institutions.
Techniques Used
The workshop will provide an opportunity for attendees to “see” how faith communities implement collaborative approaches to HIV testing and linkage to care for PLWHA by viewing several multimedia presentations and hear prominent faith leaders and HIV/AIDS advocates explain how to address HIV-related stigma within the faith-based community. Dr. Pernessa Seele will give an overview of the Tanzania Interfaith Partnership (TIP), a national coalition of three primary faith-based groups in Tanzania, Africa.
Use of Time
Introductions (5 minutes); Overview of Video Segment (10 minutes); Exclusive Video Segment from ‘The Gospel of Healing’ Documentary (30 minutes.); Understanding Domestic and International Faith-Based Interventions (30 minutes); Question and Answer Session (15 minutes)
Project Web Site: www.thegospelofhealing.com
WORKSHOP 2: HIV STIGMA: EFFECT ON FAMILIES
Facilitators: Dionne Smith, HIV Family Advocate; Reggie Smith HHP, PLWA, Sally Mason, Ph.D., LCSW, University of Illinois, Chicago
Purpose & Significance
Stigma affects not only people with HIV but also their loved ones who do not have HIV, including partners, children, and other family members. In this workshop, the facilitators will review what we know about family members’ experience of stigma and its impact on family. Participants will discuss scenarios & share experiences to inform or expand upon that knowledge. By the end of the workshop, we will develop a list of action strategies and recommendations to help families manage stigma. Participants will be encouraged to make an action plan for using one strategy in their work or personal life.
New Skill and Understanding
Family members of people with HIV are affected by stigma, with consequences for their mental and physical health, peer and social relationships, and their family relationships. By recognizing this impact, we can identify ways to help families manage stigma and improve quality of life, not only for the person with HIV, but also for their loved ones.
Techniques Used
The workshop facilitators will present information from practice, research, and experience. Using prepared scenarios and personal examples, workshop participants will identify the impact of stigma on family members and strategies for helping family members manage stigma.
Handouts
1) Themes from interviews with non-positive adolescents whose mothers have HIV— how the teens experience stigma.
2) A measure of stigma-by-association developed with adolescents whose parents have HIV.
Use of Time
Presentation of material from research, practice, and personal experience on how family members experience stigma (30 minutes – Dionne & Reggie Smith-15 minutes; Sally Mason-15 minutes); small group discussions of prepared scenarios and personal experience (20 minutes); summary of learning from small groups (10 minutes); development of action strategies and recommendations (20 minutes); evaluation (10 minutes)
WORKSHOP 3: STIGMA: EFFECT ON CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES
Facilitators: Andrea Rigoli, Public Health Association, Pediatric AIDS HIV Care, Washington, D.C., Khadijah A. Tribble, Executive Director, Pediatric AIDS HIV Care, Washington, D.C. and Miss Caressa Cameron, Miss USA.
Purpose and Significance
The purpose of the workshop is to empower youth participants to action by learning how to identify HIV/AIDS Stigma in themselves and others. Participants will learn to individually and collectively reduce HIV related stigma.
New Skill and Understanding
Technique Used
In this interactive workshop, participants should expect to learn to use role plays, games and art activities in their practice. These activities will give each person an opportunity to explore the impact of HIV/AIDS on youth specifically and give them skills to introduce interventions in their communities.
Use of Time: TBD
WORKSHOP 4: CRIMINALIZATION OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS IN US
Facilitators:
Purpose and Significance
The fear and stigma associated with HIV/AIDS led to the enactment of both civil and criminal statutes that violate the rights of PLWH/A and perpetuate myths about HIV transmission. This workshop explores the issue and ways to eliminate the adverse impact of these laws and their enforcement.
New Knowledge and Skills
Specific workshop session objectives to be achieved:
1. Explain what HIV criminalization laws are and how the laws are used.
2. Describe how criminalization of HIV compounds HIV-related stigma.
3. Become an advocate for those affected by laws that criminalize HIV.
4. Participate in developing an agenda for change.
Technique Used
This workshop session will employ an interactive discussion with a question and answer session. This interactive approach will enable participants to explore their own attitudes around HIV and people living with HIV/AIDS as well as share their knowledge, experience and expertise around HIV criminalization.
Handouts
1. PowerPoint Presentations
2. HIV Criminalization Resource Materials
3. The Denver Principles
4. Portions of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) which addresses issue.
5. Proposed legislation to combat misuse of laws to criminalize HIV.
Use of time
Welcome, Introductions, and Review of Agenda (S. Bailous-5 minutes), Overview of Issue (S. Strub-15 minutes), Existing Criminal Laws and an Update on the Impact of these Laws (C. Hanssens-15 minutes), Overview of New Community Advocacy Tool (R. Bennett-Carlson-15 minutes), Policy Implications (V. Johnson-10 minutes), Facilitated Discussion with Q/A (S. Bailous-25 min), Participant Evaluations (S. Bailous-5 min)
WORKSHOP 5: REDUCING THE STIGMA OF HIV AND STD TESTING IN HEALTHCARE SETTINGS
Facilitators: Nestor Rocha, M.P.H. and Michael Kharfen, Bureau Chiefs, Hepatitis, STD, and TB Administration of the District of Columbia Health Department
Purpose and Significance
This workshop will give participants a picture of the current HIV epidemic in DC and share the local health department’s journey towards addressing barriers to testing in healthcare settings. Presenters will describe HAHSTA’s experiences in addressing medical providers to understand and participate in their initiative to integrate HIV screening as a routine laboratory procedure. This insight will guide the group’s discussion regarding stigma induced barriers among the providers and the general community.
New Skill and Understanding
Awareness of potential barriers to testing in medical settings; Knowledge of various approaches to overcoming barriers; Ability to see tools used to engage healthcare providers
Techniques Used
Discussion
Information sharing
Use of Time
Presentation – 30 minutes;
Discussion – 30 minutes;
Brainstorming – 20 minutes
Closing Q&A- 10m
