in a nonjudgmental setting
The Housing Works Prevention and Services Department utilizes an approach called harm reduction to provide critical individual and group services to individuals and families at risk for and living with or affected by HIV/AIDS. Harm reduction means providing a nonjudgmental setting in which clients set small, achievable goals. Our programs help clients move along a continuum of health and wellness in a culturally appropriate manner.
The road to healing often starts when our street outreach program makes contact with clients in crisis or when clients drop in at our Crosby Street Supportive Services Center. At Crosby Street and in various community settings, Prevention and Services offers a comprehensive array of supportive services for Housing Works clients both living with and at risk for HIV. Program components include the Supportive Services program, Syringe Exchange Program (SEP), Mobile Access Neighborhood Outreach (MANO), and Comparing Access Toward Transgender (CATT) testing program. We also offer on-site syringe exchange, detoxification acupuncture, and HIV counseling and testing for people of transgender experience and other high-risk populations.
Once clients are stably housed and connected to services, many enroll in the Second life Job Training Program (JTP), where they learn essential life and job skills. When clients graduate from JTP, they are guaranteed employment at Housing Works with full benefits.
The Community Follow-Up Program provides intensive, comprehensive case management and advocacy services to individuals and families living with HIV who are experiencing psychosocial stressors that influence their overall health and wellbeing.
Clients typically referred to the Community Follow-Up program are in periods of crisis or have urgent immediate needs. Staff thoroughly assess the full range of a client's needs and provide linkage and referral to services that meet the client's housing, health care, legal, financial, mental health or harm reduction needs.
For many clients, the Syringe Exchange Program is the entry point to other Harm Reduction Services at Housing Works. Housing Works provides syringe exchange services to 78 clients in four locations: our three day treatment programs and residences and the Crosby Street site. This year the program distributed 2,752 new syringes. Next year's focus is on enrolling the hardest-to-reach injection drug and hormone users and ensuring that all Housing Works clients know about our syringe exchange services.
A registered dietician co-facilitates a weekly HIV and Health/Nutrition group. Communal shopping and healthy cooking classes are an important part of nutritional education for clients living with HIV/AIDS. Many who have other illnesses such as diabetes and obesity, receive extra support from the nutritionist. Our clients' children are also eligible to participate in our Summer Youth Enrichment Program. In Fiscal Year 2007, four youth completed the program. The Summer Youth Employment and Academic Enrichment program is a 40 hour per week program for youth between the ages of 14 and 17 whose parent(s) are Housing Works clients. Participants are paid above minimum wage to work 20 hours per week at one of Housing Works business ventures, such as the Thrift Shops and the Bookstore Cafe. For the other 20 hours, they participate in learning experiences that include academic classes, group discussions, outings around New York City, advocacy, and community service projects.
Previous graduates now attend Columbia University and John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
Contact:
Ben Geboe
Vice President of Prevention Services
(212) 966-0466 x1139