Southern Arizona Aids Foundation

Causes: AIDS, Health, Human Service Organizations, Human Services, Public Health

Mission: To increase an awareness of the aids epidemic in southern arizona through education, as well as providing support for individuals with hiv/aids

Programs: Care services: the care services department ensures that people living with hiv/aids have access to the services they need to maintain optimal health and live as independently and safely as possible. Care services expanded in fy 16/17 by opening satellite offices in s. Tucson and both coconino and yuma counties. The housing services staff is now based at our s. Tucson office. The staff in flagstaff and yuma are coordinating housing services for people living with hiv in collaboration with medical case managers in those areas. Saaf continues to provide crisis intervention, case management and support to lgbt community members experiencing violence and harassment through our anti-violence project. Care services programs are grouped into three primary areas: case management, support services, and housing services. Of all the people served last year, 92% were low income, with 52% living below the poverty level. Due to the ongoing economic conditions and the stress of living with limited incomes, the demand remained high for basic support services including housing, food, transportation, emergency rent and utility assistance, as well as essential medical services including dental care and medications assistance. Once again, saaf provided services to the greatest number of people in its history, serving 1,403 people living with hiv/aids in southern arizona and their household members. Of these, 162 were new clients to saaf. Case management services: - case management provided needs assessments, the development of care and action plans, and provision of or referral to necessary services. - peer counseling provided people living with hiv/aids with a caring person living with or deeply affected by hiv/aids, from whom they can receive support and information. - case management was provided through our anti-violence project for lgbtq survivors of violence. These services include safety planning, goal planning, basic needs, shelter, advocacy, and support navigating the legal system. - case management was also provided to chronically homeless persons in a new program component serving chronically homeless persons regardless of their hiv status. Support services: - complementary therapies - dental services (provided statewide except for maricopa and pinal counties) - food and nutrition services, including the food for life program and the food pantry, ensure distribution, harvest days, emergency meals - holiday project - medication benefits management for those enrolled through the affordable care act federally facilitated marketplace's (provided statewide) - medical benefits cost sharing assistance for those enrolled in statewide adap assist - medications assistance - support groups - transportation services - wellness and buyers' club - clothing vouchers - hygiene/cleaning supplies - other personal support serviceshousing services: - 295 households served through saaf housing programs in pima county - 432 total persons served through saaf housing programs in pima county - 87 total persons served through saaf hopwa program providing move-in assistance and short-term financial assistance to help pay rent, mortgage, and utility bills - 67 households through saaf hopwa program providing move-in assistance and short-term financial assistance to help pay rent, mortgage, and utility bills - 13 households served through homeless preference section 8 vouchers in partnership with city of tucson - 15 total persons served through homeless preference section 8 vouchers in partnership with city of tucson - 14 households served through saaf housing services in the balance of state - 21 total persons served through saaf housing services in the balance of statethrough your support saaf was able to offer a comprehensive array of services that made a great impact for many people last year. - 1,303 people received case management and peer counseling services - 636 people accessed dental services through a contract with delta dental - 569 people received food assistance - 149 people received medical cost sharing assistance - 795 people received transportation services - 142 people received assistance through the holiday project - 5 people received medications assistance - 82 households received emergency short-term rent, mortgage, and utility assistance or move-in deposits - 137 people accessed services of the complementary therapies program

prevention/ education: 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. Prevention services targeted populations at increased risk of hiv infection or transmission, hepatitis c infection, substance use, sexual assault, and suicide. Communities served included gay/bisexual men and other men who have sex with men (msm); men and women who inject drugs, have a history of injection drug use, are currently in drug treatment, and/or have a history of incarceration; youth, including young people of color, lgbtq youth, and adjudicated youth; and people living with hiv/aids. Saaf provided effective behavioral interventions, public health strategies and health education and risk reduction activities that included outreach, individual-level interventions, group-level interventions, community-level interventions, health education/public information, and social media strategies. Prevention programs conducted the following activities through the implementation of 14 initiatives:- over 1,000 individuals received one-on-one support, risk-reduction counseling, and/or resource and referral services- over 900 people received education, skills building, and/or training through the implementation of 45 group-level interventions- over 180 outreach events reaching approximately 50,000 individuals- almost 100,000 people were reached through social media messaging- over 1,200 individuals received education on hiv, viral hepatitis, substance use, lgbtq issues, and harm reduction through 54 community education events- just over 250,000 condoms and other safer sex materials were distributed in our communityhiv counseling and testing was provided by trained saaf staff. Testing was available at saaf, behavioral health agencies, local bars, walgreen's locations, uoa, and at community events throughout the year. Confidential hiv testing using 4th generation hiv rapid testing technologies was available. Last year approximately 1,893 people received hiv rapid testing services at saaf, behavioral health agencies in pinal county, community locations including three walgreen's locations, and at mobile-testing events. Hepatitis c rapid testing was also made available to people who inject drugs or have a history of injection drug use. Approximately 500 hepatitis c rapid tests were conducted at saaf and in collaboration with behavioral health organizations in tucson. Prevention programming:hiv testing - hiv counseling, testing, and referral - alere determine combo test (20 minutes) - saaf testing monday-friday - rural testing (pinal county) - community events/outreach testing adult programs:pre-exposure prophylaxis (prep) navigation services - for people at-risk of hiv transmission - education and support - readiness assessments, benefits coordination, and referrals to medical providersmen's sexual health and personal empowerment (mshape) - for msm - condom distribution - support around behavior change, substance use & abuse, risk reduction - peer driven and peer ledone life - for current and former substance users, primarily idu - self-help in eliminating life-threatening diseases (shield): a small-group hiv risk reduction intervention for current and former substance using men and women. - popular opinion leader: a small-group hiv risk reduction and peer led hiv risk reduction intervention for msm. - hepatitis c testing and education o hepatitis rapid testing (20 minutes) o risk reduction o connect people who are reactive to confirmatory testing and medical care through el rio o testing conducted at numerous sites in tucson, including saafsyringe access program (sap): monday, wednesday, thursday - access to hiv and hep c testing - access to clean works, bleach kits, hygiene items - build relationships with staff and access health related information, including options for treatmentyouth programs:- youth empowerment and lgbtq leadership (yell): substance abuse education/reduction and coalition building- hiv youth peer education (hype): hiv education and peer support- arizona life links for youth (ally): suicide prevention, lgbtq youth, arts initiative with the university of arizona museum of art. - anchor: collaboration with sirow. Saaf provided education and workplace development activities to lgbtq young adults- eon youth lounge: saaf provides hiv testing and hiv/sti prevention; education, support, and a safe space for lgbtq youth- youth life project: sexual and dating violence prevention and education. - your story: substance abuse and hiv education and prevention services for youth and young adults of color. Hiv, hcv, and hbv testing services; capacity building and social marketing- aztec proactive prevention project: a collaboration with pima community college, the program aims to reduce substance abuse and hiv by providing education, group-level interventions, hiv and hcv testing, and support services to students in the pcc desert vista and west campuses.

the volunteer resources program offers volunteer support to all areas of saaf in addition to providing vital outreach to the community. Volunteers are given training, continuing education, and staff support to acquire the skills needed to take on these important roles throughout the agency. Vr provides monthly orientations to new volunteers. Volunteers made an impact by helping to support a healthier and stigma-free community through advocacy, outreach, and support. In 2017, 1,292 volunteers provided 16,558 volunteer hours which equates to approximately $358,315, according to the independentsector. Org and the bureau of labor statistics.