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Long Island Association for AIDS Care
60 Adams Avenue
Hauppauge, NY 11788
Phone: (631) 385-2451
Fax: (631) 423-2788
Email: LIAAC1@aol.com
Title: Prevention on Wheels Education Residents (POWER)
Project Director: Romarie Garcia
Target Population: Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino
Age Group: Adults
The Prevention on Wheels Education Residents (POWER) project targets males and females, ages 18-75 years, with focus on at-risk Black and Hispanic individuals, especially, injection drug users/ substance abuse users, men who have sex with men (MSM) and individuals who exchange sex for drugs or money. Activities are conducted in eight high-need communities in Nassau and Suffolk counties in southeastern New York (East Meadow, Elmont, Garden Heights, Greenport, Huntington Station, Inwood, Long Beach, and Mastic Beach). The partnership consists of Long Island Association for AIDS Care (LIAAC), BiasHelp of Long Island, and the Economic Opportunity Council of Suffolk.
The project objectives include: increasing the number and capacity of community-based minority-serving organizations partnering to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic through mobile outreach; reducing unsafe HIV-related risk behaviors (unprotected sex, illicit drug use); increasing HIV counseling and testing to identify HIV+ individuals and connecting them with needed services to help limit further HIV transmission; and providing referrals to needed support services through mobile outreach, counseling, linkages and reduction of the barriers to health care services. Outreach services include: face-to-face encounters in target communities; dissemination of information on HIV prevention and testing; information about accessing other services (such as medical care, housing, food and social service benefits); distribution of condoms, risk-reduction literature (including bilingual and low-literacy versions). Flexible services are provided (including HIV prevention, testing, counseling and referral to many types of services) at varied hours, including evening/nighttime hours, and on weekends. Costs to clients are limited and HIV+ individuals receive fast track intake into case management regardless of insurance status. Outreach is conducted on streets, lots, parks, and soup kitchens to eliminate transportation problems. In some cases taxi vouchers are provided. The mobile outreach partnership combines it special connections with many dozens of service providers to link and refer clients to needed services including medical, mental health, substance abuse use and treatment, housing, domestic violence counseling, legal and other services.