Northern Regional Center for Independent Living operates an AIDS In Prison Program in the five correctional facilities in the Watertown HUB. Those facilities are:
Watertown Correctional Facility
Cape Vincent Correctional Facility
Gouverneur Correctional Facility
Ogdensburg Correctional Facility
Riverview Correctional Facility
The program reaches a large number of inmates with the message of HIV/AIDS
prevalence in our society, especially in the prison setting.
Each month, our full-time staff members provide services to inmates in general
HIV education, peer educator training and peer educators in follow-up sessions,
support groups and one-on-one counseling for HIV+ inmates, and transitional
planning for HIV+ inmates preparing to leave incarceration. Our team administers
HIV tests and provides inmates with pre- and post-test counseling.
Our Educators' message to inmate populations of unknown HIV status includes the
basic physiological and psychological aspects of the illness, methods of
contraction and prevention, and the importance of testing. Many times, there are
group discussions regarding the concerns of the group. A large number of
participants have referred themselves to the educators for HIV testing as a
result.
NRCIL's Correctional Support Coordinator (CSC) meets with inmates who refer
themselves to that program through the nurse administrator in each facility. The
one-on-one counseling aspect of the CSC allows those inmates who wish to retain
as much confidentiality as possible to discuss their issues openly. Typically
these consumers are men who have recently learned of their positive HIV status,
although a portion of the population seeks such ongoing assistance, when
available, as opposed to group counseling.
The majority of inmates who pass through the one-on-one program eventually seek
a group setting in which to share their issues. In each of the five facilities,
this service is provided by the facilitation of support groups by the CSC.
During these weekly meetings, inmates discuss their personal issues as well as
obtain information regarding access to medical and human services, aspects of
beliefs systems and behaviors, self-empowerment, stress reduction, prevention
and communication about HIV/AIDS with family members.
As the time draws near when an inmate with HIV is due to go before the Parole
Board, or when his sentence is about to expire, he will be referred to the
Transitional Planner by the Correctional Support Coordinator for transition
services.
Inmates with HIV who have chosen not to participate in the Correctional Support
Coordinator's program, but desire transitional services are referred by the
facility's Nurse Administrator, Parole, or can self refer.
The Transitional Planner coordinates services with the Department of
Correctional Services and the Division of Parole to ensure that inmates being
released have the necessary documents to enroll in entitlement programs for
which they qualify, have appropriate housing ready for their release date and an
appointment with a medical provider. The Transitional Planner also addresses
each inmate's specific needs for linkages with appropriate community services.
The result is an increased understanding of, access to and use of HIV-related
services by parolees. These services include, but are not limited to case
management agencies, pharmacies, and the HIV/AIDS Services Administrator (HASA)
in the New York City area.
NRCIL's AIDS In Prison Program is funded primarily with grant money from the New
York State Dept of Health, AIDS Institute, and with Ryan White CARE Act Title II
funds from the federal government that is funneled through the Department of
Health.
For more information:
http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/aids/index.htm