 |
The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
|
The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Debbie S Indyk, PhD, MS, Community and Preventive Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, 19 East 98th Street (Box 1045), New York, NY 10029, 212-241-7863, d_indyk@hotmail.com, Danielle R. Strauss, MPH, Prevention Unit, VIP Community Services, 1910 Arthur Avenue, 9th flr., Bronx, NY 10457, and Carlos E. Allende, MHSA, Health Services, VIP Community Services, 1910 Arthur Avenue, 9th flr., Bronx, NY 10457.
VIP Community Services’ Women’s Institute, funded by SAMHSA-CSAT, is an enhanced substance abuse treatment program based on harm reduction principles. The program targets African American and Latina women from the Bronx with histories of substance abuse or at high-risk. Services include counseling, support groups (i.e., relapse prevention, anger management, HIV prevention, parenting, domestic relations, etc.), vocational counseling, advocacy, pregnancy support services, and socialization, with the goal of developing a healthy support network among the women enrolled in the program.
While the original intention of this program was to identify women in need of treatment, refer them into treatment, and provide them with support to assist them in staying in treatment, being client-centered, the program evolved into a harm reduction drop-in-center and safety net for extremely vulnerable women in need of services to prepare them for treatment, or provide them with other support if traditional treatment was not appropriate. Many who enrolled in the program presented with multiple, often conflicting needs besides their need for drug treatment, such as lack of housing, food, health care if pregnant and/or HIV-infected, or mental health issues. By meeting them where they were at and being nonjudgemental (principles of harm reduction), these women were able to be served by the Women’s Institute, assisted with their more immediate and pressing needs, and encouraged to access drug treatment only if and when they were ready.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, participants of this session will be able to
Keywords: Vulnerable Populations, Women and HIV/AIDS
Related Web page: www.vipservices.org
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: VIP Community Services
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: Contract