The Healthy Living Project is an innovative collaboration between Women’s Christian Alliance (WCA) and Maternity Care Coalition (MCC). Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the project provides HIV prevention services to pregnant and newly-parenting African-American women and minority adolescents in Philadelphia. The three major activities of the Healthy Living Project include: street and community outreach, prevention case management, and HIV risk reduction instruction. Street and community outreach is conducted by MCC’s MOMobile Advocates. Advocates assist women with accessing prenatal care, health insurance and public benefits. Advocates canvass the community distributing literature about HIV/AIDS and other health issues, distribute condoms, and provide HIV testing/counseling resources. An HIV pre/post test is administered to assess clients’ need for more intensive services. Those scoring low are referred to WCA for HIV prevention case management. Once referred, participants receive intensive counseling, education, and support, through home visiting, workshops, and support groups. The HIV risk reduction activities are coordinated through a series of educational workshops in public high schools and middle schools. The curriculum includes such topics as HIV transmission, HIV prevention, peer-pressure, substance abuse, and safer sex negotiation. WCA and MCC are one of few community-based organizations to form a formal partnership in the war against the spread of HIV. The Healthy Living Project has placed a strong emphasis on collaboration as a key element in achieving lower rates of HIV infection among African-American women.
Learning Objectives: Participants will better understand the effectiveness and value of collaboration in HIV Prevention.
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.