AIDS Institute Calendar: September to December 2010  Dates are provided for this training cycle. Please click on the online registration link to register for desired course(s).

HIV Disclosure: Deciding Who and When to Tell - 10/22/10, (3 hours) This half-day training will increase the case manager's awareness of the multifaceted issues clients face when contemplating HIV status disclosure to family, friends and service providers. The case manager will develop the skills necessary to conduct timely, ongoing assessments and discussion of HIV status disclosure as a component of effective service planning. This training is meant to enhance case manager skills and should not be viewed as foundation training for new staff entering the field.  By the end of this training, case managers will be able to:

• Describe the benefits of ongoing assessment and discussion around disclosure;
• Outline a format to help clients with effective decision-making about HIV/AIDS status disclosure
• listing the benefits and limitations;
• Explain the value of supporting a client's decision regarding disclosure; and
• Discuss the steps involved in making the decision to disclose HIV/AIDS status to family, friends and service providers.

Prerequisite: Although there is no prerequisite for this course, it is strongly suggested that participants have previous training in HIV Confidentiality and have taken.  Audience: Case Management Staff including: Case Managers and Case Management Technicians in both COBRA and grant-funded programs, Supervisors, Program Directors, and other interested Health and Human Service Providers.

HIV and Hep C Co Infection - 11/23/10, (3 hours) More than 25% of people living with HIV in the US are co infected with Hepatitis C virus (HCV). Among people who acquired HIV as a result of injection drug use, the rates of HIV/HCV co-infection may be as high as 90%. HCV screening is recommended for persons infected with HIV. Health and human services providers who work with people living with HIV need updated information about HIV/HCV co infection in order to provide effective services to their clients. As a result of this half-day training, participants will be able to:

• Recall basic information about the liver and hepatitis C, including transmission, prevention,
• course of illness, screening and treatment;
• Counsel their HIV positive clients about the importance of knowing their HCV status;
• Describe how co infection with HIV and HCV affects the progression of each disease;
• Recall current trends and improvements in treatment for people who are co infected with
• HCV; and
• List at least three additional service needs of people with HIV who are also co infected
• with HCV

Prerequisite: Although there is no prerequisite for this training, it is strongly recommended that participants have previous training in HIV/AIDS. Audience: All health and human services providers including: nurses, HIV/STD counselors, substance abuse counselors, case managers, case management technicians, prevention specialists and outreach workers.

Building Bridges to Cultural Competency - 9/21/10, (1 day) This one day training explores the broad definition of culture and its relationship to competent and effective healthcare and human service delivery. Using didactic presentations, case studies and skills building exercises participants will:

• Discuss invisible privilege and its affect on both receiving and providing services;
• Be encouraged to self reflect and explore potential obstacles to providing effective services; and
• Learn how these obstacles are created when diverse cultures, Western medicine and human;
• service deliveries collide

Prerequisite: None Audience: All Health and Human Service Providers

SPECIALIZED TRAININGS:

New!!!

Group Facilitation with STD/HIV Prevention - 11/9/10 , 11/10/10, (2 days) This two-day training will help to increase providers' confidence, knowledge and practice skill in facilitating groups, especially the Centers for Disease Control's science based intervention "VOICES/VOCES". As a result of this training, participants will be able to:

• Increase understanding of group process and how it influences behavior change;
• Identify qualities of an effective group facilitator;
• Increase skills in facilitating STD/HIV Prevention Intervention Groups;
• Identify strategies for handling group problems;
• Learn the importance of training, supporting and evaluating group facilitators.

Prerequisite: None Audience: Group facilitators, counselors, health educators, peer educators, health care professionals and other public health prevention providers who conduct group level STD/HIV Prevention Interventions.

Developing Skills for Enhanced Outreach - 11/30/10 - 12/1/10, 12/14/10 - 12/15/10, (4 days) This four-day training is designed to provide outreach workers with the skills to increase their effectiveness of conducting outreach to hard-to-reach populations using and Enhanced Outreach model. This training will provide outreach workers with a wide array of activities that will teach them how to approach clients, gain their trust and help clients access needed services (i.e., HIV services). The training includes opportunities for skills practice regarding health behavior change and concepts of motivational interviewing. As a result of this training, participants will be able to:

• Identify key outreach messages for targeted populations;
• Summarize the stages of enhanced outreach;
• Describe how multiple encounters is an effective approach to outreach;
• List the stages of change; and
• State at least three concepts of motivational interviewing

Prerequisite: Although there is no prerequisite for this training, it is strongly recommended that participants have previous training in basic HIV/AIDS. Audience: Experienced and new health and human service providers conducting outreach as part of their jobs.

**Please Note: Depending on the training center, this training will be offered in four consecutive days or two two-day sessions.

Mental Health Services: Ensuring Appropriate Referrals - 10/28/10 - 10/29/10, (2 days) This two-day training is designed to orient HIV providers to basic information about mental illness and to prepare providers to make effective referrals to mental health care services. Topics to be covered in this training include:

• Exploration of values, bias and stigma of mental illness within different cultures;
• Overview of mental health and HIV/AIDS in NYS;
• Overview of common psychiatric disorders;
• Overview of mental health service delivery system resources and referrals; and
• Overview of barriers to mental health care

Prerequisite: None Audience: All Health and Human Service Providers including: Case Managers and Case Management Technicians in both COBRA and Grand-Funded Programs, Supervisors, Program Directors.

Addressing Prevention with HIV Positive Clients - 11/18/10, (1 day) This one-day training will prepare participants to help people living with HIV to avoid sexual and substance use behaviors that can result in 1) transmitting HIV to others and 2) negative health outcomes for themselves.  As a result of this training, participants will be able to: 

• List psychosocial issues that can make it difficult for people living with HIV to change sexual and substance using behaviors associated with HIV transmission;
• Identify provider values and beliefs about addressing prevention issues with their HIV positive clients;
• Practice using a booklet that helps people living with HIV consider issues related to disclosure to sexual and needle sharing partners;
• Practice skills associated with working one on one with HIV positive clients on prevention issues;
• Explore specific strategies for working with special populations; and
• Examine prevention resources and be able to make referrals for prevention services

Prerequisite: It is strongly recommended that participants have previous knowledge on harm reduction and basic HIV/AIDS information.  Audience: All Health and Human Service Providers, especially those who work directly with HIV-positive clients.

Note: Staff who work in case management programs should attend the training entitled, "Addressing Prevention in HIV Case Management".

Improving Health Outcomes for HIV-Positive Individuals Transitioning from Correctional Settings to the Community - 10/6/10, (1 day) This one-day training is to inform providers about the culture of corrections as it relates to HIV-infected inmate’s needs upon community re-entry. Best practices will be reviewed to assist formerly incarcerated clients living with HIV/AIDS establish and maintain linkages to care, as well as maneuver through the system and access needed services.  As a result of this training, participants will be able to:

• Identify the roles and responsibilities of HIV transitional case managers prior to an inmate’s release;
• Describe the distinction between jail and prison custodial settings and how HIV transitional planning services differ;
• Outline the challenges that HIV-infected inmates face upon release;
• Describe effective engagement techniques for working with inmates who are transitioning into community systems of care;
• Discuss strategies for conducting assessments with former inmates who are living with HIV/AIDS to learn about their needs and to create appropriate linkages and referrals; and
• Identify support services and resources for HIV-infected inmates who have left the correctional system

Prerequisite: It is strongly recommended that participants have previous knowledge of basic HIV/AIDS information and harm reduction.  Audience: All health andhuman service providers who work directly with incarcerated clients and/or who are part of transitioning planning for incarcerated clients.

HIV/AIDS TREATMENT 

Promoting Primary Care and Treatment Adherence For HIV Positive Individuals - 12/6/10, (1 day) This one-day training is designed to increase awareness of non-physician health and human services providers about HIV primary care guidelines and treatment adherence.  Non-physician health and human services providers who are aware of HIV primary care guidelines and strategies for supporting treatment adherence can play an important role in improving health outcomes of people living with HIV.  As a result of this training, participants will be able to:

• List the components of primary care for patients living with HIV;
• Identify the key elements of the annual comprehensive physical exam for patients living with HIV;
• Identify the routine laboratory screening and assessments used in primary care for people living with HIV, including methods used to assess and measure adherence;
• Recall the different classes of HIV medications and briefly describe how they work;
• Identify common barriers to treatment adherence, including medication side effects;
• List three specific strategies for promoting treatment adherence;
• Identify when referrals to specialty care may be needed;
• work as a member of the care team to: maintenance services, vaccination, and prophylaxis for opportunistic infection;
• conduct client assessments and make referrals for a variety of psycho-social issues including substance use, mental health, domestic violence, smoking cessation, etc.;
• help patients take advantage of health

Prerequisite: It is strongly recommended that participants have previous knowledge or training on basic HIV/AIDS information.  Audience: Non-physician health and human services.

Addressing Sexual Risk With Drug Users and Their Partners - 9/20/10, (1 day) This one-day training will build participant knowledge and skill in offering sexual harm reduction options to substance users. Expanded access to syringes, other harm reduction options and drug treatment services have helped people greatly reduce their substance use-related risks for HIV. The latest research shows that sexual risk behaviors play a significant role in new cases of HIV among people who use substances. As a result of this training, participants will be able to:

• Recall the latest research that shows how expanded access to syringes and methadone maintenance programs has greatly reduced the number of new cases of HIV from substance use-related risk;
• Identify and discuss sexual risk behaviors clients engage in when using drugs and alcohol;
• Identify harm reduction strategies for reducing sexual risk among people who use drugs and alcohol; and
• Practice harm reduction messages tailored to sexual behaviors for people who use drugs and alcohol

Prerequisite: It is strongly recommended that participants have attended "Reducing the Risk and Harm of HIV", and/or have a working knowledge of harm reduction. 

Audience: For health and human services providers who work with people who use drugs.

Reducing The Risk and Harm of HIV  -  9/28/10, 9/29/10, 9/30/10, (3 days) This three-day training will provide participants with information about what behavioral scientists, HIV/AIDS providers and consumers have found to be helpful in reducing the risk and harm associated with HIV infection. Participants will have an opportunity to improve skills and increase knowledge of:

• Assessing client readiness for change;
• Behavior change counseling; and
• harm reduction options for sexual and substance use behaviors

Prerequisite: Although there is no prerequisite for this course, it is strongly recommended that participants have previous knowledge or training on basic HIV/AIDS information.

Audience: All Health and Human

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