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Michigan A4C - African American
Washtenaw Co. Blueprint

 

Statewide Planning 

Michigan HIV/AIDS Council (MHAC)

The Michigan HIV/AIDS Council is the statewide advisory council for planning both prevention and care activities. The mission of MHAC is to represent the diversity of those affected by HIV/AIDS in Michigan, maintain parity among prevention and care issues, and to develop and sustain statewide comprehensive plans for HIV/AIDS prevention and care.

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Michigan Epidemiology and Statistics:

 Other Resources:

  •  The CDC Guidance for HIV Prevention Community Planning, July 10, 2003.

  • This link to the Michigan page on statehealthfacts.org, a free website operated by the Kaiser Family Foundation, includes new and cumulative AIDS cases, AIDS case rates, persons living with AIDS, AIDS deaths, HIV infections, HIV testing statistics and policies, additional AIDS-related state policies, Ryan White funding and funding for HIV prevention, and AIDS Drug Assistance Programs, including budget, client, and expenditure data. 

      

MHAC Announcements

1/7/10 - Announcements made at the November MHAC meeting that are still timely:

All 2010 MHAC meetings will be at the Lexington Lansing Hotel (formerly the Sheraton Lansing Hotel on Creyts Road) Dates: March 17, May 14, September 1, and November 17.
Strategic Planning Initiative for MSM - Andre Brown announced that the next step in the Strategic Planning Initiative for Men Who Have Sex with Men will be holding a variety of community conversations focusing on those nine communities with high incidence. He is also in the process of developing a website to network and share ideas, which can be found at http://mimsminitiative.ning.com . For further information, contact Andre at browna16@michigan.gov.
New Project in Detroit Provides Links to Care - Andrea Roberson announced the Detroit Department of Health and Wellness Promotion will be instituting the Project Consumer LINC (Linking Individuals into Needed Care) Peer to Peer Education Model, an initiative based on the Mosaica training she attended in Minnesota. The implementation of this model will involve linking HIV+ into primary medical care and other needed services. The 2010 RFP for the DHWP will be released in December.
 

Community Planning Around the State

The Washtenaw HIV/AIDS Coalition has developed a draft Blueprint to Address HIV/AIDS in Washtenaw County and local resource materials for target audiences.

 

Target Audience Planning Groups

African American AIDS Advisory Committee (A4C)
 The African American Advisory Committee was formed to help eliminate the health disparities of HIV/AIDS among African Americans in Michigan. They plan on accomplishing this mission through raising awareness and advocating for culturally competent policies and activities to address the disproportionate impact of HIV/AIDS on African American communities. More on this committee; and when they will next meet.

 Michigan Coalition on Adolescent Sexual Health (MiCASH)-This statewide committee is undergoing revisions by a core leadership group, which has developed a new mission statement focusing on the sexual health and wellness of youth (aged 13-24). Meetings will continue to provide an opportunity to network with professionals in youth serving agencies and to participate in an advisory capacity to MHAC, representing adolescent and youth HIV issues. See more information on MiCASH.

Michigan Persons Living with HIV/AIDS - The current structure is a partnership between the HIV/AIDS Prevention and Intervention Section (HAPIS) of the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) and a PLWH/A Advisory Group for the purpose of planning and implementing needs assessment and related activities throughout the state. This advisory group is open to any PLWH/A living in Michigan who has an interest in assisting us in this critical activity. If you are interested, please complete the registration form (PDF Document) and fax it to Debbie Davis at (517) 241-5911.

 

Michigan HIV/AIDS Council Needs Assessment Findings:

FINAL Title II Needs Assessment

• Injection Drug Users (report)
• Commercial Sex Workers (report)
• Men who have Sex with Men (report)
• Persons Living with HIV/AIDS (report)
• Women Living with HIV/AIDS (pdf of slides)
• Homeless Living with HIV/AIDS (report)

 

MHAC Meeting Summaries and Materials

Michigan HIV/AIDS Council November 19, 2009

African American AIDS Advisory Committee (A4C) Report: Leon Golson reported that the A4C had met in October and restructured and streamlined the committee’s goals and objectives. The committee will have two workgroups 1) the Community Awareness Workgroup, who will plan the 2010 Black AIDS Awareness Campaign (BAAC) and all future BAAC campaigns, and 2) the Community Planning Workgroup, who will be responsible for developing community partnerships. The A4C requested these goals replace those responsibilities currently in the MHAC Policies and Procedures, and these changes were approved at the meeting. The A4C Chair reported on the upcoming Black AIDS Awareness Campaign. The BAAC kick off event was to be held January 7 at Cadillac Place in Detroit. Honorary co-chairs include Charles Pugh, from the Detroit City Council and Rep. John Conyers. The committee has also applied for a grant from the Office on Women’s Health to hold a mother – daughter brunch as part of the 2010 BAAC events. Grant awards will be announced in the next few weeks. The A4C is planning to bring the Internalized Racism Workshop to MHAC in 2010. Contact Teresa Springer for more information on this group and planning for BAAC.

New members for 2010 presented by the Membership Committee were approved. Presentations made at the meeting are available through links below, with the exception of one added to the agenda. Outgoing MHAC member Karen Boyd presented her doctorial thesis “Health Literacy Action Project.” For more information contact Karen Boyd at BoydK@dchquality.org .
 

Presentations:

Handouts:

 

Michigan HIV/AIDS Council May 14, 2009

The Michigan HIV/AIDS Council met in Eaton Rapids on May 14, and the room was filled with over 90 members, advisors and guests.  The agenda was packed with committee reports, presentations and discussions for change in the status quo.  It was also a day of welcome and farewell.

Chris Ramazzotti co-chaired his first MHAC meeting along with veteran Community Co-chair Paula Sirls and MDCH Chair Debra Szwejda. Amna Osman made her first return visit to the group since her appointment as Director of the MDCH Division of Health, Wellness and Disease Control.  Amna discussed the state of affairs for the Division and her recommendations for moving forward with MHAC.  Dr. Renee McCoy, who has directed the HIV/AIDS Program at the Detroit Department of Health and Wellness for the past two years, announced that she will be leaving her position this summer to move to Seattle.

The Needs Assessment & Comprehensive Planning Committees have continued to be productive since that last MHAC meeting, with an extensive look at evidenced-based interventions for each priority population, and how these interventions best address the needs in the state.  It was requested that the definitions of the Michigan evidence-based interventions be sent to MHAC electronically since handouts were not available at the meeting.  (See the four populations and categories of specific prevention needs and types of interventions that the committee reviewed; also the listing of Intervention Definitions linked below.)

The Membership Committee recommended several changes to the MHAC Policies and Procedures that were approved by the Council.  Previously, members were selected for a three-year term and could re-apply for a second three-year term.  Now, if a member chooses to re-apply for a third three-year term, the individual will need to address the Council directly as to why they should be able to re-apply and the request will no longer be made through the Membership Committee. The Community Co-Chair term limit was set at two, two-year terms. Members who let their membership lapse, who do not complete the application and submit by the deadline requested, must wait until the following year to reapply.  Also, resignations submitted are effective immediately and cannot be rescinded.  If you resign, and change your mind, you must re-apply the following year.  No exceptions will be made for any of the above policies.

MHAC Member Karen Schrock presented with her coalition of partners for the Adult Well Being Services SAMHSA* Grant project, S.H.A.P.E.  This project pulls AWBS together with the Arab American Chaldean Council, the Coalition on Temporary Shelter and the Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation to promote healthy choices and Stop HIV/AIDS and Addiction through Prevention and Education in minority women age 50 and older. For more information on this very, outside-the-box initiative, call (313) 925-1135.

Project ABLE, a culturally-tailored HIV risk reduction for African-American MSM (African-Americans Building Life Empowerment) was presented by MHAC member Royale Theus and Michigan AIDS Coalition’s Project ABLE Coordinator Wayne Stallworth. This research project , led by the Center for AIDS Intervention Research (CAIR) at Medical College of Wisconsin, is testing the value of extended and enhanced,  culturally specific interventions on risk behavior among young African American MSM. MAC is one of two teams providing the interventions for this small randomized control trial study. Like the Michigan home-grown POP (Prevention Options for Positives) did for its research with PWAs,  this project compares  the relative effectiveness of a  rapid HIV testing and counseling risk reduction intervention (HCT-only) to an enhanced intervention that includes the HCT intervention plus a theory-based and culturally tailored small group intervention designed to reduce HIV and STI risk behavior (HCT-plus). For more information, see the PowerPoint presentation made at MHAC or call Wayne Stallworth at MAC, (248) 545-1435 ext. 111.

MDCH-DHWDC liaison with the Michigan Department of Corrections, Ray Cotton, provided an overview of the collaboration between the two departments to provide prisoner HIV counseling and referral services, as well as STD and Hepatitis prevention education through the prisoner peer education program that Cotton coordinates. There was a lot of information in a brief presentation and Cotton recommends attending his workshop at the STD & HIV Conference to be held in Kalamazoo in October.

The Survey of MHAC members, taken at the March meeting, was reviewed and there was a discussion about redesigning the format of MHAC meetings to give less time for presentations and more time for discussion and networking among members. Topics for a one-day skills building event were also explored.

*Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

 

 May 14 Materials:

Presentations:

Handouts:

 

 

Michigan HIV/AIDS Council March 19, 2009

The Michigan HIV/AIDS Council met for the first time this year on March 20 in Eaton Rapids. This was a time for model change-over. Holly Joseph served her last meeting as community co-chair and received a standing ovation for her four year service in this capacity. Surveys of the new membership body – required by the CDC to gain insight on the quality of CPGs and to aid the community planning process – were conducted.

New members were welcomed with a morning orientation by Membership Committee Co-chair Jake Distel, and an overview of MDCH Care and Prevention programs and the relationship between MHAC and MDCH by HAPIS Manager and MAHC Co-chair Debra Szwejda.  New members were introduced to their mentors and Nicole Adelman was introduced as the new Membership Committee co-chair. A brief presentation on the Michigan HIV News website and MHAC resources was made.

When the official meeting commenced, a new MHAC community co-chair was elected from four nominees. Christiano Ramazzotti, the HIV/AIDS & STD Prevention program director at ACCESS- Arab Community Center for Economic & Social Services and Co-founder of AL  GAMEA (GLBT Association of Middle Eastern Americans),  was elected following a compelling presentation bidding for the post. Ramazzatti cited his membership on MHAC for over six years, his experience developing the cutting-edge outreach program, Al  GAMEA, “based on the same principles of community planning: conduct needs assessment, find out what the community needs and implement those programs.” He has also worked with members from community planning groups across the country through the Asian Pacific Islander Wellness Center in San Francisco and The Asian Pacific Islander Health Forum, learning from their experiences in community planning.  “I’d like to get new people involved in the MHAC committees,” he told the members present at the meeting.

Committee reports included a reminder from the Membership Committee that all MHAC members are expected to join at least one committee. An update on the Needs Assessment and Comprehensive Planning Process showed this group has been hard at work in collaboration with MDCH staff. Co-chair Peter Hubbard noted, “The quality of data (provided by MDCH) was impeccable and easy to use.”  A long process using State data and a ranking system determined the priority populations as MSM – way ahead in the lead – IDU and HRH, all following the CDC mandated priority population, HIV-positive.  The next step for this process is the Gap Analysis. The African American AIDS Advisory Committee (A4C) reported on the Michigan Black AIDS Awareness Campaign (BAAC). Nineteen agencies attended the kick-off event held  on January 9, and several novel activities planned for this year’s Campaign, which ran Feb  1 - March 13, were noted. The final report will be presented in May.

Meeting presentations included an STD Program Update – with the HIV/STD connection emphasized  – by Amy Peterson, now the MHAC advisor for the MDCH STD Section  (See below); and an overview of the upcoming Prevention Statewide Strategic Planning Initiative focused on MSM, by the new HAPIS coordinator for the Initiative, Andre Brown, (313)456-4362. E-mail browna16@michigan.gov.

Upcoming Events Planning - Deb Szwejda called on members to help plan the 2009 National Latino Awareness Day Campaign (October 15).  Meetings will be limited to two; the first will be held May 19, contact Belinda Chandler (517)241-5926 or chandlerbel@michigan.gov. The National Test Day (June 27) kick-off will be held April 29 at the Hampton Inn in Lansing, contact Lisa Taton-Murphy at (517)241-5932, or e-mail: TatonL@michigan.gov.

Presentations included:

 

Archived Meetings

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