Posts Tagged ‘prevention’

Naloxone Co-Payment Assistance Program Available from NYS

Tuesday, June 12th, 2018

As a result of the opioid epidemic, the Surgeon General issued an advisory to emphasize the importance of expanding the awareness and availability of naloxone. Opioid overdose deaths have been on a steady incline in New York State (NYS) and have increased by 180% from 2010 to 2016.1 Knowing how to use naloxone and keeping it within reach can save a life.

Within NYS there are over 2,100 pharmacies that can dispense naloxone with a standing order. Additionally, NYS has implemented the Naloxone Co-Payment Assistance Program, (N-CAP). N-CAP provides co-payment and cost-sharing assistance to people with prescription coverage as part of their health plan to cover co-payments and cost-sharing for naloxone up to $40, providing lower or no out of pocket costs.

Key elements of accessing naloxone at pharmacies include:

  • Individuals can get naloxone at a pharmacy with a standing order and do not need a prescription. They ask for naloxone at the pharmacy counter and present their insurance information and an N-CAP palm card.
  • Individuals are not required to enroll in N-CAP.
  • Individuals who cannot access naloxone through a pharmacy can access naloxone through registered opioid overdose prevention programs, including individuals using naloxone in the line of duty and people who are uninsured. For a directory of Opioid Overdose Prevention Programs, please click here.
  • Pharmacies eligible for co-payment reimbursement for naloxone must participate in the NYS AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP).
  • N-CAP promotional materials are available to order; we encourage you to display these and share them with your clients.

We play an important role in addressing this public health crisis. I am asking for your support to save lives from fatal opioid overdoses by encouraging people to carry naloxone. Thank you for the work you do to maintain the health of all New Yorkers.

If a pharmacy you work with is interested in a standing order, or have other questions, please contact: naloxonepharmacy@health.ny.gov.

ICYMI: Spectrum News featured HVCS in its World AIDS Day coverage

Friday, January 19th, 2018

Watch Spectrum News’ video interview with our J. Dewey here.

From the article:

“Ending the HIV epidemic across the state is a collaborative effort, and recent data statewide and in the Hudson Valley indicates that progess is being made.

“The work in order to be responsive as you saw in the data is a complement of our partnerships between city between state between elected officials and our community stakeholders,” said Johanne Morne, director of the New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute.

The department of health held a summit on Wednesday in Albany to connect those involved in combating the epidemic with new information and resources. Morne says that working with communities and identifying needs, as well as understanding social and structural challenges and barriers for different communities, is a major part of their work.

“It’s our responsibility, as I talked about, for us to look for those opportunities not only to provide access to care, but to be sure we create environments that are welcoming and responsive to the people who most need access to prevention and healthcare support,” said Morne.

In the Hudson Valley, providing that access to care falls to many organizations, including Hudson Valley Community Services. In the mid-Hudson region, the trends for new HIV infections are hopeful.

“The news for HIV infections in the Hudson Valley is that the rate of infection is finally going down,” said J. Dewey, public relations & resource enhancement director for Hudson Valley Community Services.”

Thanks to reporter Orie Givens for reaching out to us.

 

New Prevention Program for Women of Color Coming Soon

Thursday, September 21st, 2017
Woman of color

Image by Javi_Indy on Freepik – www.freepik.com

HVCS is launching a new infectious disease prevention program this December specifically for women of color. Our new Women’s Services Program will help prevent new HIV, STD, and hepatitis C infections among minority women in Dutchess, Orange, Rockland and Westchester counties. The program aligns with New York State’s “End the Epidemic” plan to increase the number of women who know their HIV/STD/HCV status and increase the number of women linked to medical care.

The Women’s Services Program will use a trauma-informed approach to outreach and prevention, since many women at high risk for these infections live with traumatic pasts or present-day circumstances, including abuse, homelessness, poverty, and immigrant status.

Our initial contract will run for five years, and we aim to serve at least 300 women each year. We look forward to sharing more news about this exciting and important new program in the future.

New Substance Abuse Program Coming to Sullivan County

Wednesday, August 9th, 2017

A map of Sullivan CountyHVCS has received a grant from the NY State Department of Health to create what is called a Drug Users Health Hub for opiate users in Sullivan County. This new program, which we are calling the Hub, will help reduce opioid use and overdoses while improving clients’ general health.  The funds will enable us to hire a physician and nurses to write Buprenorphine prescriptions and offer crisis visits, relapse prevention and wound care in our Monticello office.

We are anxious to get to work with new staff positions and resources so that we can reduce the number of opioid overdoses and get more people into treatment. This program is also exciting because it will allow us to provide actual medical care as a stand-alone service, which is something HVCS has never done before.

The Hub will work in tandem with our other substance abuse treatment programs, the Syringe Exchange Program and Project ReachOut.

Buprenorphine–What’s That?

Staff in this program will be able to prescribe Buprenorphine to treat opioid and heroin addiction. It relieves drug cravings without producing the same high as other opioid drugs. The program nurses will also provide relapse interventions and monitor clients so they can access the services they need.

HVCS’ Food & Nutrition Programs Need Your Help

Wednesday, May 31st, 2017

When you don’t eat right, you don’t feel right. And so it was for Terry.

Terry* would make the rounds of local food pantries and soup kitchens. It was how he survived. His ‘home base’ was a homeless shelter in Orange County – where our Nutrition Education and Outreach coordinators would see him. But he always declined their help.

He didn’t trust anyone enough to let them assist him. However, after talking to him for a year, Terry began to confide in our coordinator, Debbie. He opened up about his addiction issues, his lack of family support, and his illiteracy. All of the systems that our society has set up to help people like him had let him down.

Then one day he appeared in our Newburgh office. “All right,” he said.  “I know you’re on my side. I need help.”

Debbie enrolled Terry into a nutrition access program in only two days.

“What are your goals?” Debbie asked.“I want a job,” Terry said. “I want a job so I can save money and get my own place, off the streets.”

Together, Debbie and Terry built a realistic plan to achieve that goal. After a few weeks and a referral to drug detox, Terry applied for and landed a job as a dishwasher in a local restaurant. Terry continued to receive nutritional assistance for a few months while he worked, and with our help he finally saved up enough money to rent a room of his own.

Terry went from being homeless and surviving on soup kitchens to being a fully contributing member of the Hudson Valley community.

And your support makes it possible. In fact, Hudson Valley Community Services has been supporting clients’ health with food and nutrition services for decades because of people like you. With your help we hand out over 10,000 food bags each year and feed nearly 1,100 people.

Donate today to keep our emergency food closets fully stocked.

We know you share our belief that a thriving Hudson Valley is made up of residents who are living their full potential: healthy, active and enjoying all the wonderful things that make this a great place to live. That’s why we connect anyone who needs temporary help getting enough food to all our available services.

But our food and nutrition programs are currently operating at a significant deficit because government grants aren’t able to meet the actual demand for food assistance in our area. In fact, three of our emergency food closets are sitting empty right now due to lack of funds, and we haven’t been able to purchase food from local food banks. Without direct support from caring people—like you—we’d be forced to reduce our services, hand out less food, and turn clients away from our emergency food closets.

Your contribution–of any amount–makes a difference. 

It means we can keep our food and nutrition programs strong. It means people like Terry have a chance to create a meaningful life. So please continue to help us build healthy communities right here in the Hudson Valley. It goes far beyond keeping food on our pantry shelves. You can help fuel bodies, prevent disease, and turn lives around—and more people can live their full potential.  Please give today.

Donations Needed for HIV Testing Programs

Thursday, May 25th, 2017

HVCS isn’t afraid to have tough conversations. We shine a light on problems that thrive in the darkness. That’s only one of the tools we can use to bring new HIV infections to zero because of the support we have received from people like you. You have also inspired us to be the strongest of advocates in preventing HIV/AIDS.  That is why we would like to share with you Louis’ story.

Louis is twenty-four, has one more year of grad school, identifies as gay and is, by all outward appearances, happy and successful. Yet sometimes he doesn’t feel like he’s got it all together—he copes with low self-esteem and anxiety. He has a supportive family but feels like he’s not attractive or smart enough and worries about the future. Sometimes in social situations he relies on “liquid courage”—he has a few drinks. He wants a long-term commitment (and, one day, a husband) but knows that as a young gay man he’s at higher risk for HIV infection. The things he did to feel better about himself, like going out and drinking, only made things worse. “It felt like the odds were stacked against me,” he said. “I felt pretty hopeless and scared.”

Until he came in for a free HIV test offered our INFORM program, which specializes in HIV prevention for men who have sex with men.  The INFORM specialist told him that he could diminish his fear of contracting HIV by going on PrEP. The specialist connected him to a medical provider and worked out insurance coverage. He also referred Louis to a counselor to address his self esteem, supplied him with condoms, and discussed strategies for having a good time at parties without risking his health. “Now I always go with friends, and we make a pact to watch out for each other.” Louis feels more in control and  less anxious about the future now that he’s equipped with more tools to stay healthy. By helping us to activate an entire network of supports—from his doctor to his friends to his therapist—you’re helping Louis stay as healthy as possible while staying true to his dreams and goals.

We know you share our belief that a thriving Hudson Valley is made up of residents who are living their full potential: healthy, active and enjoying all the wonderful things that make this a great place to live. But even with nearly forty years of studying how and why HIV is transmitted, Hudson Valley residents are still being infected with HIV. So we still need your help.  Those who were at the highest risk decades ago are still at high risk because most people have a tough time talking about sexuality, desire, substance abuse, and race.  This silence, combined with entrenched stigma against those with AIDS, allows HIV to spread through our communities—communities we need to stay healthy and strong if we’re to be a vibrant, colorful Hudson Valley.

What if Louis hadn’t come to us for a free HIV test? Though we believe that HIV testing is an opportunity to educate and engage people at high risk for HIV, government contracts don’t cover the full cost of offering those HIV tests for free. Our prevention programs are now operating in the red–and we may be forced to conduct fewer tests.

So we invite you to join us once again in keeping HIV prevention in the conversation. Your contribution means we can keep our HIV prevention programs strong. So please continue to help us build healthy communities right here in the Hudson Valley. Preventing the spread of HIV now means that more people can live their full potential.

Please give today.

 

Funding for HVCS’ Criminal Justice Initiative Renewed

Wednesday, May 24th, 2017

We are thrilled to announce that funding for our Criminal Justice Initiative was renewed by the New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute for another five years! We operate the CJI program in six New York State prisons for men in what is known as the Sullivan hub: Eastern, Otisville, Shawangunk, Sullivan, Wallkill and Woodbourne. Specialists provide HIV testing, create transition plans for HIV+ inmates who have served their time, and work with inmates to organize the Prisoners for AIDS Counseling and Education (PACE) program. CJI plays a critical role in preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS among the incarcerated population.

Syringe Exchange Program Expands to Sullivan and Ulster Counties

Wednesday, December 7th, 2016

HVCS’ Syringe Exchange Program (SEP) is pleased to announced that it now serves Sullivan and Ulster counties, in addition to Dutchess and Orange. The New York State Department of Health’s Harm Reduction Unit recently approved our plan to expand our successful syringe exchange van program to Kingston and Monticello.

The discrete SEP van will be located in Kingston at Elmendorf Street between Broadway and Tremper Avenue on Tuesdays and Fridays from 10:00 am to 12 noon and 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm.

The van will also operate in Monticello on Mondays and Fridays from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm and 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm, but interested clients and referring agencies must call (845) 476-2190 OR (845) 234-5225 for location.

The SEP program has kept thousands of used syringes off of the streets and out of the Poughkeepsie and Newburgh communities thus far. Program staff regularly offer trainings on the overdose prevention drug Narcan/Naloxone, and have saved several lives. Staffers estimate that the clients they have trained to administer Narcan themselves revive between three and five overdosing peers each month.

For more information on SEP, please call (845) 476-2190 or (845) 234-5225.

New HIV Testing Ad Campaign to Launch Soon

Wednesday, December 7th, 2016

UnknownCampaign_AfrAmThe AIDS Institute is pleased to announce a new statewide media campaign to promote HIV testing.

The campaign message is:

Worst HIV Status: Unknown

Not testing leaves you in the dark.  Testing puts you in control.

The campaign includes materials in English and Spanish.  Key messages encourage people to talk with their health care provider about HIV testing and the campaign includes a link to the CDC HIV testing locator (https://gettested.cdc.gov/)  to help people find community-based testing options.

This campaign, developed in conjunction with Better World Advertising, will begin sometime in December or January and will feature the following:

  • Various digital ads and use of social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Google ads and others
  • Convenience store, hair/nail salon and bar ads
  • Transit ads, including bus shelters and subway ads
  • Other media

The campaign website, which is now active, is www.hivtestny.org.  The Spanish language website can be accessed by clicking on En Espanol at the top of the site.

NYS HIV Infections Reach Historic Low; More Funds for PrEP Announced

Thursday, July 14th, 2016

In case you missed this week’s big news from Albany, Gov. Cuomo announced that estimates of new HIV infections for 2014 show a decrease of 41% from 2006. Estimated new HIV infections were fewer than 2,500 for the first time. The estimated HIV incidence rate (that is, the rate of people living with HIV, per 10,000 residents) fell 43% since 2006.

NYS HIV Infections, 2006-14

New estimates also report that 123,000 New Yorkers live with HIV, as of the end of 2014. About 10,000 do not yet know they are HIV-positive (8%). While this is good news overall, the report also estimates that only 62% of HIVers are virally suppressed (they have an undetectable viral load) and are, theoretically, incapable of infecting others. NYS would like to increase this percentage while continuing to decrease new infections to less than 750 per year by 2020.

Gov. Cuomo also announced an additional $4 million in funding to spread awareness of PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis). The NYS Department of Health unveiled new videos to educate the public about PrEP and a new website, PrEPforSex.org.

HVCS offers PrEP referrals, information and support, so please contact us if you’re thinking about going on PrEP to stay safe from HIV. These are trends we want to see continue!