| The Prevention Center at the Colorado AIDS Project is launching a volunteer staffed Community Health Outreach Worker program (CHOW) to provide street-based HIV/AIDS health, education, information, referrals, and client advocacy in community settings to Denver’s hardest to reach populations. The program is modeled after successful CHOW programs in New York and San Francisco.
Cajetan Luna, CAP Prevention Director, has first hand experience with this type of program, having served as an Executive Director of two agencies that had CHOW programs, and as a board member on the Health Outreach Team (HOT) in San Francisco. "The CHOW program accepts people in the environments they live in. It focuses on harm reduction; it encourages them to change their behaviors and helps them to reduce their risks," Luna explained.
The program relies heavily on the support of volunteers who work in teams of three to four people targeting Gay, Youth, Intravenous Drug Abusers, and Homeless Street Populations. The duties of CHOW volunteers include facilitating cultural mediation, providing culturally appropriate health education, assuring people get the services they need, providing informal counseling and social support, and advocating for individual and community needs.
The position is physically challenging. It requires carrying, walking, lifting, and excellent interpersonal skills. "It’s important that volunteers be mobile and can get around and that they are able to establish a quick rapport with people. They must be emphatic and passionate for helping the disenfranchised," Luna stated.
One way volunteers help is through consistency and dependability. "CHOW volunteers will maintain a regular schedule so people can count on getting supplies at the same time and location on a regular basis," Luna stated. Volunteers will also wear CHOW T-shirts, making them easily identifiable.
Before participating in the program, volunteers are required to attend extensive two-day training that addresses topics such as Living with HIV, the ABC’s of HIV/AIDS, Active Listening, and Team Building. Additional topics include Club Drugs, Hepatitis C, HIV Reporting, Domestic Violence, Gay Health Issues, Youth and Sexuality, Cultural Diversity, and Female Health Issues.
Volunteers learn skills and are provided educational material that prepares them for working on the streets with the various populations including relating to challenging people and situations. | | Luna said, "We’ll have a facilitator at the upcoming training who is expert on diffusing volatile situations, and encouraging people to create more nurturing environments."
Upon completion of the program, volunteers are able to explain components of health and human services systems affecting the communities in need; utilize interpersonal skills as a peer to meet people "on their own terms and turf"; develop communication skills for interacting meaningfully with those being served; and describe concepts of health promotion and disease prevention. They will also provide targeted prevention materials.
Reducing high-risk behaviors that can lead to HIV/AIDS and encouraging and directing people to CAP for testing are important objectives of the Chow program.
John Nelson, Community Program Manager, said, "There are a lot of different reasons to get tested but I feel it goes back to being empowered. It can take four to ten years to develop symptoms and testing is the only way to know for sure if you have HIV/AIDS. If you find out sooner, there are more options for medications. It’s also a way to respect and honor yourself and your partners."
Even though testing is important for everyone, those 24 and under are now one-half of new HIV/AIDS infections. According to Nelson, "When people are young, they feel invincible. They make high-risk choices like drugs and drinking. They know that HIV/AIDS is out there, but they also know there are medications that help people live longer. So the perceived message is ‘it’s not that big of a deal," which is a wrong impression and underscores the impact of AIDS."
CAP is currently expanding its youth services, collaborating with agencies including Rainbow Alley, Children’s Hospital, and theYouth HIV/AIDS Coalition.
Confidential testing is offered at CAP on the last Thursday of the month at its office located at 2490 W. 26th Ave., Suite 300A.
Luna said, "I’m excited about taking prevention back to the streets, providing services where they are especially needed. I encourage volunteers to participate in the CHOW program for a rewarding experience and in order to provide valuable service for people in need."
Editor’s note: For more information about the CHOW Program, please call Cajetan Luna at 303-837-0166, extension 401 or write cajetanl@coloradoAIDSproject.org. |
