Friday, June 1
HIV/AIDS Spectrum Project Awarded Contract Modification
The HIV/AIDS Spectrum: Mental Health Training and Education of Social Workers Project has been awarded a contract modification for $334,000 to support program goals during the third, fourth and fifth years of its contract.
Funding was received through the Center for Mental Health Services, of the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration, and will support efforts to accelerate a federal response to HIV/AIDS as outlined in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy.
Evelyn Tomaszewski, NASW senior policy associate for human rights and international affairs and the spectrum project director, said the funds will help build collaboration with NASW chapters and CMHS grantees, including the Minority AIDS Initiative Targeted Capacity Expansion grantees, as well as CMHS Mental Health Care Provider Education Program partners at the American Psychological Association and the American Psychiatric Association.
“We plan to update and expand distance learning opportunities through NASW WebED,” Tomaszewski said. “We’re also working towards expanding the number of expert trainers who, in turn, will provide continuing education and professional development workshops targeting the 12 communities identified in the United States as having the highest AIDS burden, while also targeting those communities with growing or emerging incidence of HIV/AIDS.”
PHOTO: Lisa Cox, left, and Nathan Linsk, members of the NASW HIV/AIDS Spectrum Project advisory committee, join the group’s discussion at its meeting in December. The program has received a contract modification of $334,000.
The HIV spectrum project advisory committee convened in December to discuss goals and brainstorm ideas with members, placing an emphasis on working with NASW chapters, as well as state and local health and behavioral health departments and affiliated community-based programs.
The advisory committee also discussed the continued need for preservice education.
“HIV has been around long enough that students now don’t see it as a phenomenon,” said committee member Diane Green-Smith.
“Not a single school (in my area) has a course on HIV,” said committee member Dinas Moncada, a clinician and trainer. “If social workers aren’t prepared to deal with it, who is? It’s up to social workers to continue to be there.”
Through collaborative efforts with the chapters, Tomaszewski sees the project’s potential to build on the network of social work practitioners who have the expertise and hands-on experience in HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment.
“This initiative will further position social workers as leaders in addressing the goals of the National HIV/AIDS strategy,” she said. “While we work in diverse fields of practice, we all have the opportunity to work toward HIV/AIDS prevention.”
For more information on the project, visit http://www.socialworkers.org/practice/hiv_aids/.
From February 2012 NASW News. © 2012 National Association of Social Workers. All Rights Reserved. NASW News articles may be copied for personal use, but proper notice of copyright and credit to the NASW News must appear on all copies made. This permission does not apply to reproduction for advertising, promotion, resale, or other commercial purposes.
