The Prevention Services Department at the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation (SAAF) believes that the needs of those at risk for HIV/AIDS are to be addressed from a holistic perspective - that in order for harm reduction to work, individuals /clients must feel a sense of self-worth and must have a positive connection to the community.
Oppression, discrimination, bias and stigma towards persons affected by, or at risk for, HIV infection often create a culture of marginalization and disenfranchisement. This often decreases esteem and one’s ability and desire to reduce risky behaviors and access healthcare information and services. SAAF’s comprehensive education, harm reduction and prevention services help at-risk individuals feel empowered and integrated into their community.
Mission:
SAAF's Prevention Department creates healthier communities through innovative education, training and outreach services to reduce the transmission of HIV, Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections by using safe and supportive approaches
Vision:
No new HIV infections. Period!
Our Programs:
HIP AZ: METHODS
hipaz.org
Methods: What Works For You is a program of HIV Intervention Prevention Arizona (HIP/AZ), a statewide prevention program targeting HIV+ individuals and their partners. SAAF is the fiscal agent of the grant with Phoenix’s Body Positive and Yavapai County Community Health Center as subcontractors.
HIP/AZ is a client-centered intervention that provides on-going, intensive, on-on-one, comprehensive risk counseling services (CRCS) to persons who are having or likely to have difficulty initiating or sustaining practices that reduce or prevent HIV transmission and re-infection. The fundamental goal is to promote the adoption and maintenance of HIV and substance using riskreduction behaviors by clients with multiple complex problems and risk-reduction needs.
POINTS OF HEALTH PROJECT
phptucson.orgThe Points of Health Project (PHP) is a substance abuse, HIV and hepatitis education and prevention program of the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation (SAAF) in collaboration with the Pima County Health Department and other community partners.
The goals of PHP are to reduce substance abuse, HIV and hepatitis among Latino and African American gay, bisexual, queer, questioning and trans men of Tucson along with Latino and African American jail/prison re-entry men who reside in the Tucson metropolitan area.
MSHAPE
mshape.org
Men's Sexual Health and Personal Empowerment is a participent dirven program for gay, bisexual, queer, questioning and trans men of Tucson. We focus on men's health and promote healthy social alternatives, with a core group of local volunteers meeting regularly to provide direction and feedback.
MSHAPE utilizes health education, targeted outreach, and community event coordination. MSHAPE also collaborates with the Pima County Health Department to provide monthly, mobile HIV and syphilis testing at locations frequented by gay and bi ment throughout Tucson.
MAN 2 MAN
azman2man.orgMan 2 Man is a program using a series of seminars to promote the individual and communal health of gay, bisexual, queer, questioning and trans men of Tucson. The seminars include multimedia presentations, presentations by health professionals, videos, panels, behavioral modeling, story-telling, assessments, exercises, and small-group discussions.
Voz provides prevention and education services for youth ages 13-21 within the Calli Ollin charter school system, youth centers in the City of South Tucson, and in the Pascua Hiaki Tribe. Voz promotes risky behavior reduction in order to lower HIV/AIDS and STD rates, substance abuse, teen pregnancy, self-injury, teen suicide and school dropout rates. The Voz curriculum, which consists of 12 sessions, follows the experiential education model as well as a few other prevention models and curriculums to provide comprehensive services and effective behavior change.
EON
eonyouth.orgThe Eon “Lounge” Youth Center works to strengthen Tucson’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, two-spirit, queer, questioning, intersexed, and straight-ally youth communities by creating social opportunities, providing information and support on health issues, advocating for youth rights, and challenging society’s perceptions of youth as they face institutionalized oppressions that target the many facets of their identities.
Eon provides a safe drop-in space for these youth, ages 13-23, and conducts outreach and education throughout the community. Eon has served more than 4,000 youth, including more than 400 youth registered to participate regularly in the “Lounge” drop-in space. Staff and youth leaders provide workshops, trainings, social events, support services, and a weekend leadership retreat. Evaluation results marked significant gains in preventing and supporting those youth experiencing or affected by HIV/STDs, substance abuse, homelessness, truancy, dropping out of school, and suicide.
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MSHAPE is a program of the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation (SAAF).