Services provided by TBAN include:
- Medical Case Management, available in Hillsborough, Pasco and Hernando Counties, works with persons living with HIV and their families utilizing a person-centered approach that focuses primarily on maintaining the client in medical treatment and assisting clients in treatment adherence; thus truly maintaining/improving their health by full participation in the treatment regimen and care planning. Consequently, case management has transformed over time and has been designated as Medical Case Management including treatment adherence, a core service of the Ryan White compendium of services to clients. We accomplish this by bringing a holistic approach to the client’s overall care, beginning with the case manager’s role which has become central, as the first and ongoing point of contact, once eligibility has been established. The case manager then assesses, and with the client, plans the course for meeting identified needs through core and supportive services and coordination of those services, along with encouragement to persevere. The case manager acts as coach, facilitator, and consultant to the client.
- Medical Education, Advocacy, and Treatment Adherence Services to improve the quality of care and health outcomes in communities of color disproportionately impacted by the HIV epidemic is provided through our Minority AIDS Initiative. This is accomplished through increasing access to prevention and care, and building stronger community linkages to address the needs of African Americans and Hispanics with HIV disease in all four counties.
- A large Food Pantry in Hillsborough County provides a wide variety of nutritious food, personal care items, and household cleaning products to eligible clients. A smaller Food Pantry operates to serve persons who are HIV positive in Pasco and Hernando counties, and is supplemented by a Food Gift Card Program to purchase food and necessary toiletries from local grocery stores, again, to eligible clients.
- Emergency Financial Assistance for rent and utilities to prevent homelessness and utility cut-offs is available to those who qualify in all four counties through Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA).
- A housing program for ex-offenders is offered to assist with rent for HIV+ persons especially who are recently out of incarceration and seeking to get their lives back together. Clients are referred to job training, educational opportunities, assisted with disability income when needed, all with the goal of self-sufficiency for the client, so that at the end of the program, clients can truly make it on their own.
- Transportation to medical appointments is available to those with HIV residing in Pasco and Hernando counties.
HIV Prevention Plays a Major Role in the Programs Offered
- Street and community outreach to persons at risk for HIV infection is aimed at reducing barriers to early diagnosis of HIV infection and increasing access to quality medical care, treatment, and ongoing prevention services for those diagnosed with HIV.
- Education to small groups and individuals provide people at high risk for HIV infection with information and behavior modification techniques to reduce or eliminate their risk of infection.
- Community presentations on HIV disease and its transmission and prevention increase awareness for those persons at risk for HIV infection.
- AIDS 104 courses provide education to the public and for those persons required to participate in this four-hour seminar to obtain state licensure for their profession.
- HIV testing and counseling is designed to inform individuals about HIV transmission and testing, assist them in assessing their own level of risk, encourage individual risk reduction plans, provide an HIV antibody test if desired, and additional counseling and education as needed.
Volunteer Services
TBAN welcomes volunteers and gratefully accepts donations of food, personal care items and financial support for our HIV/AIDS programs in the Tampa Bay area.
The SMART RIDE 5
A further opportunity to assist HIV+ persons in the Tampa Bay Area is through participation or sponsorship of THE SMART RIDE 5, November 14-15, 2008, a 165 mile bike ride from Miami to Key West. TBAN is a benefiting agency and 100% of the monies raised on the ride itself go to the participating agencies and are to be used for client services and programs. Visit www.thesmartride.org for more information.
If you would like to assist in sponsoring TBAN, contributions are tax-deductible. Please make your check to TSR (the Smart Ride) and send to 7402 N. 56th Street, Bldg. 100, Suite 101, Tampa, FL 33617 or call (813) 769-5180 for more information.
Links
The following website links are provided to assist individuals who are infected and affected by HIV/AIDS:
Local Resources:
AIDS Service Association of Pinellas - www.thehospice.org/asap.htm
Francis House - www.francishouse.org
Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services HIV/AIDS Housing - www.gcjfs.org/svc-housing.htm
Hernando County Health Department - www.health.co.hernando.fl.us
Hillsborough County Health Department - www.hillscountyhealth.org
Metropolitan Charities Community Services, Inc. - www.metrocharities.org
Operation HOPE - www.ohop.org
Pasco County Health Department - www.doh.state.fl.us/chdpasco/
Pinellas County Health Department - www.pinellashealth.com
PWA Coalition of Tampa Bay - www.pwactampa.homestead.com
St. Joseph's Comprehensive Research Institute - www.centerwatch.com/professional/pro887.html
T.A.S.K. Positive Education - www.pos-ed.org
United Way of Tampa Bay - www.uwtb.org
West Central Florida Ryan White Care Council - www.healthcouncils.org
State Resources:
Florida Agency for Health Care Administration - www.fdhc.state.fl.us
The AIDS Institute - www.TheAIDSInstitute.org
Florida Department of Health - www.doh.state.fl.us
National Resources:
AIDS Clinical Trials Information Service - www.aidsinfo.nih.gov
American Foundation for AIDS Research - www.amfar.org
CDC National Prevention Information Network - www.cdcnpin.org
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention - www.cdc.gov
Medicare - www.medicare.gov
National AIDS Treatment Advocacy Project - www.natap.org
National Minority AIDS Council - www.nmac.org
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