Advanced Training on the Needs of Incarcerated PLWHA Upon Community Re-Entry

This one-day training is to increase the awareness and sensitivity of health and human service providers to the challenges of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) involved in community re-entry after release from a correctional facility. These challenges include the overlapping issues of family reunification, mental health, substance use, and need for HIV care. Best practices will be reviewed to support community re-entry and utilization of HIV medical care and other services.

As a result of this training, participants will be able to:

• Discuss the specific challenges of family reunification for people living with HIV/AIDS;
• Describe the impact of unresolved past and possible future traumatic events;
• Use supportive inquiry to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the overlapping challenges encountered by released people living with HIV/AIDS as well as the strengths and resources of their “families” and/or social networks;
• Use strength-based strategies for supporting community re-entry for individuals with co-morbidities of HIV/AIDS, mental health/trauma issues, and/or substance abuse; and
• Facilitate clients’ access to HIV primary care and support services including drug treatment and overdose prevention to effectively manage challenges.

Prerequisite: It is required that participants take the AIDS Institute training, “Improving Outcomes for HIV-Positive Individuals Transitioning from Correctional Settings to the Community” before attending this training.

Audience: All health and human service providers who work directly with formerly incarcerated clients.

Continuing Education Credits: This training is provided under New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) Education and Training Provider Certification Number 0305. Under the NYS OASAS Provider Certificate, this training is approved for 6.5 clock hours toward the education and training requirements for renewal of CASAC/CPP/CPS certification.

To register, visit www.hivtrainingny.org.