First Quarter Edition

February 2014
In this edition:

The PASWHA Press

THE Newsletter for Members of the Professional Association of Social Workers in HIV & AIDS {PASWHA}
President's Message
This past weekend in the East a rumor started that Spring is not far away. (By the end of this week that rumor will be dispelled). Spring is always a time of coming up from our hibernation and lends itself to a new awakening with much to look forward to. So goes for PASWHA as well.

President's Message Professional Development & Education Committee Report An Introduction Social Work Month PASWHA.org Changes 26th Annual National Conference on Social Work and HIV/AIDS

Thanks for renewing your sponsorship Avita!

PASWHA Webinar Series Sponsored by

Alan Rice, LCSW Board president

Avita Drugs Pharmacy Solutions

Personal Compassionate Comprehensive

One of the things we look forward to is seeing all of you at the National Conference on Social Work and HIV/AIDS being held in Denver this year May 22-25. You can see more information on this on our website. We always enjoy interacting with our members and we are always looking for new members. Several PASWHA members will be presenting at the conference. PASWHA members receive a $25 discount on the conference's standard registration fee. Another thing we are happy to see in the Spring is that PASWHA is actually still here. I must now be sounding like a broken record, at least for those old enough to remember what an actual record is. When it's broken it just goes round and round. The board is extremely concerned that we are holding on by the slightest of strings. We all need to think of ways to increase our membership as this is our main source of revenue at this time. That means if you are up for renewal please do so and think about becoming a sustaining member at $100.00 instead of the $70.00 membership. Both are bargains given what other organizations cost to be members. It also means we need to get the word out to our colleagues about the benefits of PASWHA membership especially in these times of service

Avita Drugs Pharmacy Solutions is a unique full service pharmacy dedicated to the wellness and empathetic care of patients living with chronic health conditions.
Avita Drugs Pharmacy Solutions

cuts throughout the country. The board has plans to provide more deliverables for 2014 however without the funding we are at a standstill. Your board believes in PASWHA, do you? There are a few ways to show you do. Show us you do by attending our membership meeting in Denver, if you are there. Show us you do by renewing your membership at the sustaining level. Show us you do by recruiting new members and organizations. The rumor that Spring will be here will eventually be a truism. Can we say the same for PASWHA? We plan to. Alan Rice, LCSW PASWHA Board President

PASWHA 2014 Webinar Series

Stay tuned for the next Webinar in the 2014 Series sponsored by Avita Drugs Pharmacy Solutions and presented by PASWHA!

26th Annual National Conference on Social Work and HIV/AIDS

The conference will take place Thursday May 22nd through Sunday May 25th in Denver, CO. The theme for this year's conference is "New Practice Approaches... for a New Era in HIV/AIDS". Several PASWHA members are participating in the conference. Panelists on the Willis Green, Jr. Memorial General Session on HIV Practice Issues Melinda Marasch, LCSW Lucy Cordts, LCSW Marla Corwin, LCSW Presenters: Marla Corwin Barbara Willinger Rusty Bennett Randall Russell PASWHA members receive a discount on the "Standard Registration" fee. Register for the conference here. We hope to see you there!

PASWHA Webinar from Tuesday Jan. 28, 2014 now archived on resources' page of the PASWHA Website (members only page) Topic: Difficult Client/Problem Behaviors: The Convergence of HIV/Substance Use and Mental Health Issues
Many of our HIV infected clients have long histories of substance use and other mental health issues. These co-occurring dysfunctions often result in verbally difficult interactions between client and provider---loud, disruptive, demanding, entitled. These behaviors can call out the best and the worse in providers. This presentation focused on identifying and reacting to clients' potentially disruptive and escalating behaviors, and presented strategies on how to manage these behaviors. Providers' internal reactions were highlighted as potential obstacles. The Webinar also briefly touched on more common client chronic behaviors, such as lack of follow up to referrals. Presentation Category: Direct

practice/clinical Presentation Learning Objectives: - To identify the stages of de-escalation theory - To describe the behavioral manifestations of each stage - To learn strategies to deal with and handle a client's escalating behavior - To identify professional/personal blinders to this population Presenter: Barbara I. Willinger, LCSW, BCD Clinical Social Worker Practitioner/Manager AIDS Institute New York State Department of Health NASW Spectrum Mental Health Project Consultant & Trainer Private Clinical Practice PASWHA Member New York, NY
www.paswha.org

An Introduction
Hello all, My name is Jennifer Townsend and I am lending some support to PASWHA for the next few months. I will be helping with the newsletter, member retention and recruitment, board support, and restructuring the website. Here's a little background information about me. I graduated Summa Cum Laude in May 2013 from Miles College, Fairfield, AL with a Bachelor of Social Work, degree where I was the Social Work Club President for an extended term. I am currently working on my Masters in Social Work in the College of Social Work, University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, with an anticipated graduation date of May 2014. I have also worked as a legal assistant in my father's law practice, a sales associate for AT&T, a substitute teacher and as a paid public policy intern for Planned Parenthood Southeast, where I also did my field practicum. I have performed paid research for a housing revitalization program and research providing an evaluation of the drug court program for Jefferson County, Alabama. I have many volunteer hours as well with organizations such as Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and AIDS Alabama. Basically, I wear many hats as most social workers do. In Oct. 2010, I along with some associates, incorporated a non-profit named Foundation for Reviving Education and Student Haven (FRESH). FRESH's goal is to focus on the adolescent through tutoring, mentoring, counseling and to involve the family through parenting classes covering a wide array of topics. I am excited for the future of PASWHA and my role in it. I would encourage other students to take advantage of the student membership offered by PASWHA. Not only is this membership something to add to your rsum, but they have some pretty good perks, including free access to webinars for members. I can be reached at Jennifer@collaborative-solutions.net if you have any questions or suggestions. Feedback is appreciated. Thanks, Jennifer Townsend, MSW Candidate

Upcoming Webinar
HIV Health Reform Announces: The Housing & Health Connection: Vision and Opportunity for Expanding HIV/AIDS Housing Webinar
Wednesday, March 5, 2014 2:00- 3:30 PM ET, 1:00-2:30PM CT, 12:001:30PM MT, 11:00AM-12:30PM PT (Please note the correct time for your time zone!) This is the first webinar in a series focusing on the connection between HIV/AIDS housing provision and health care through the Affordable Healthcare Act (ACA). This webinar will provide a general overview of housing and health care with a focus on helping housing providers understand ACA within the context of sustaining and expanding housing options for persons living with HIV/AIDS. Presenters will provide an overview of specific health care models and strategies currently available to providers to expand both funding and programs. Future webinars will focus more indepth on these key strategies.

Highlights from the National Ending Family and Youth Homelessness Conference
Rusty Bennett, Policy & Research Committee, Chair

This month I had the privilege of attending the National Conference on Ending Family and Youth Homelessness in New Orleans hosted by the National Alliance to End Homelessness. It was a great opportunity to hear the latest practice and research related to addressing family and youth homelessness, as well as a reminder that homelessness still affects individuals living with HIV/AIDS. I wanted to share some of my observations on current "hot" topics that I heard during the conference and how I see them related to enhancing care and services to persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA): Homeless coordinated assessment, to put it simply, is a standardized access, assessment, and referral process. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has mandated that all communities develop coordinated assessment strategies to ensure individuals and families experiencing homelessness have access to appropriate housing and services. Research has shown that access to and maintenance of care and positive health outcomes are all linked to housing stability for PLHWHA. As communities are working toward the development of coordinated assessment systems, it is important that organizations providing HIV/AIDS care and services are linked to these coordinated systems to ensure 1) the needs of PLHWHA are prioritized; 2) PLWHA experiencing homelessness are identified; 3) PLWHA are connected to housing, health care, and supportive services. Such coordination will not happen unless HIV/AIDS services organizations are at the table. Communities are building their coordinated systems now - so now is the time to join the conversations. Find your local Homeless Continuums of Care and get involved, visit https://www.onecpd.info/grantees/? granteesaction=main.searchresults&programid=3. Rapid rehousing is a short-term rental assistance program focused on helping homeless families to quickly access and maintain permanent housing. The recently released Family Options Study is a 12-site experimental study on the difference between three housing interventions. The housing interventions included: 1) project-based transitional housing, 2) community-based rapid re-housing, 3) subsidy only, or 4) usual care on housing stability and well-being. Preliminary findings suggest that families assisted with rapid rehousing had the greatest stability when compared to the other

Presenters: Maggie Morgan, Health Law and Policy Fellow, Center for Health Law & Policy Innovation of Harvard Law School Arturo Bendixen, Director, AIDS Foundation of Chicago's Center for Housing and Health Amy Rosenberg, Associate Director, Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation of Harvard Law School Rusty Bennett, Executive Director, Collaborative Solutions This housing and ACA series is designed to: 1. Increase awareness among HIV/AIDS housing providers on health care changes and opportunities that exist as a result health care reform to support, sustain, and develop new housing resources. 2. Provide a policy and practice housing and health framework that is connected to national strategies to further connect housing and health practices and policies. 3. Educate HIV/AIDS housing providers on specific health care strategies and models that can be implemented to support housing related supportive services and direct housing assistance. 4. Provide model examples of organizational or system changes that are being used to supportive the sustaining and expansion of HIV/AIDS housing efforts. Register online at:
http://www.hivhealthreform.org/2014/02/25/webinarthe-housing-health-connection-vision-andopportunity-for-expanding-hivaids-housing/

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interventions. Rapid rehousing programs are being implemented throughout the county and although the program may not be the best fit for all PLWHA, it certainly provides an effective alternative to homelessness. Read more about the Family Options Study at http://www.huduser.org/portal/family_options_study.html. The National Alliance to End Homelessness just released the Core Components of Rapid Rehousing in partnership with The White House's Interagency Council on Homelessness, the core components include: housing identification, rental assistance, and case management. Again, rapid rehousing programs provide a key area for HIV/AIDS organizations to connect with Continuums of Care to ensure that individuals living with HIV/AIDS are connected to case management and other services. Read the Core Components at: http://www.endhomelessness.org/library/entry/rapid-rehousing2. Case management and Supportive services delivery models and evidence-based practices were also "hot" topics. Such models as trauma informed care, harm reduction, motivational interviewing, critical time intervention, and planned engagement were each presented as evidence-based practices. As we consider HIV/AIDS care and services, it is helpful for us to consider these and other evidence-based practices that can be used to engage individuals in care and treatment. Perhaps, as PASWHA we can begin a conservation on those evidence-based practices that we are using to engage PLWHA in care and treatment. Certainly, we have to remember that HIV/AIDS and homelessness are connected. For more information on the conference including presentation materials, go to: http://www.endhomelessness.org/library/entry/2014-nationalfamily-and-youth-conference-presentations. Resources - HIV and Homelessness National Alliance to End Homelessness - HIV/AIDS Fact Sheet http://www.endhomelessness.org/library/entry/factsheet-homelessness-and-hiv-aids National Coalition for the Homeless http://www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/hiv.html

In an age of access to and frequent utilization of a wealth of web-based resources, communications, and news, social workers are among those relying on their mobile devices and computers for quick access to current information. PASWHA will be posting relevant news, resources, and opportunities for professional networking and continuing education; "like" us on Facebook to stay connected: https://www.facebook.com/PASWHA

Professional Development & Education Committee

Lucy Cordts, LCSW

Greetings from the PASWHA Professional Development and Education Committee! The Professional Development and Education Committee (PD&E) is proud to report a successful 2013/2014 continuing education webinar series. PASWHA, and the PD&E Committee would like to thank our webinar series sponsor, Avita Drugs Pharmacy Solutions. We would also like to extend a special thanks to our four webinar presenters who very generously donated their time and expertise to upholding the PAWHA mission to energize and support social workers and allied professionals working in the HIV field. Our 2013/2014 presenters were: Antonio Urbina, MD Michael Dentato, Ph.D. Barbara Willinger, LCSW, BCD Marla Corwin, LCSW, CAC III Webinar topics included, client-centered HIV testing, post-exposure prophylaxis, intervention strategies to address complex mental illness, and minority stress theory.

HOPWA 20: Housing Innovations in HIV Care https://www.onecpd.info/resource/2037/hopwa-20housing-innovations-in-hiv-care/ Do you have resources you would like to share? Do you have

policy or research topics you would like explored? Send them to Rusty Bennett, rusty@collaborative-solutions.net.

Webinar registration is free for PASWHA members and all webinars are archived and can be accessed at any time on the "resources" tab of the PASWHA webpage as a free member benefit. PASWHA is excited to be planning the 2014/2015 continuing education webinar series, and continues to accept proposals for webinar presentations. Proposal submission details are available on our site under the Professional Development and Education Committee section. Please consider contributing to the professional development of your peers and submit an abstract today! A schedule of upcoming PASWHA webinars will be announced soon. Finally, the PD&E Committee launched a Facebook page intended to share pertinent news and educational opportunities available for social workers and allied professionals working in the HIV field. Please "LIKE" us on Facebook and join our virtual community! Again, a warm thank you to all who continue to support the work of PASWHA.

March is Social Work Month!

Let's use Social Work Month as a time to spread the word about PASWHA and the profession in general.

Lucy Cordts, LCSW Chair, PASWHA Professional Development and Education Committee

COMING SOON!
Major changes to the PASWHA website. The website will remain accessible during this time.

Visit us at:

www.paswha.org

Please let us know if you or a colleague have changed Email addresses or you wish your PASWHA emails to go to a different email address. Thank you! tony@collaborative-solutions.net

The Professional Association of Social Workers in HIV and AIDS (PASWHA) energizes and supports social workers and other professionals providing social work services to impact the disease through education, research, policy/advocacy, networking, and professional development.

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