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Targeted Outreach for Pregnant Women Act Program

Targeted Outreach for Pregnant Women Act Program. Presentation by: Jackie Nash and Avery Garner Florida Area 4 AIDS Program Office. A TOPWA History. In 1998, state legislators were considering legislation to make HIV testing mandatory for all pregnant Florida women.

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Targeted Outreach for Pregnant Women Act Program

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  1. Targeted Outreach for Pregnant Women Act Program Presentation by: Jackie Nash and Avery Garner Florida Area 4 AIDS Program Office

  2. A TOPWA History • In 1998, state legislators were considering legislation to make HIV testing mandatory for all pregnant Florida women. • Legislators were encouraged to change the proposal to focus on ensuring high-risk pregnant women accessed prenatal care and had the opportunity to be offered HIV testing. • TOPWA was developed to target high-risk pregnant women not accessing care, provide education on HIV/AIDS and perinatal HIV prevention, encourage women to get tested for HIV and to provide appropriate referrals and linkages to needed services.

  3. A Great Provider • The Minority AIDS Coalition of Jacksonville was developed a decade ago to face the rising numbers of minorities dealing with HIV/AIDS • Representative of various agencies, organizations, and other groups • Agency’s primary focus is HIV/AIDS prevention issues in Northeast Florida

  4. TOPWA Staff and Roles • Program Coordinator – Responsible for administering the program as well as enrollments at the Shands Hospital location • Outreach Linkage Specialist – Conducts outreach and also follow-up on outreach referrals made through the program • Outreach Specialist– Focuses solely on conducting outreach and securing new venues for outreach services

  5. An Ideal Collaboration • Shands Hospital Jacksonville • Urban Campus of the University of Florida Medical Center • Primary care facility for most residents at or below the poverty level • Primary care facility for minority and at-risk populations in Northeast Florida • Provides TOPWA office space, access to prenatal programs, and access to hospital computer system and records

  6. Area Referral Resources • TOPWA maintains contacts at various area hospitals on a monthly basis either by phone or personal visits • Contacts range from medical personnel in the emergency rooms to hospital case managers and social workers • TOPWA provides education and training to these programs as needed or as requested

  7. Conducting Outreach • TOPWA employs outreach staff (one part-time and one full-time) • Outreach workers frequent community centers, housing projects, social service offices (WIC, HUD), and local bus stops • Pregnant women are screened to determine eligibility for TOPWA; eligible women are assessed to determine service needs. • Women who are not certain of their pregnancy status are offered free pregnancy tests in the field • All women are offered free OraSure HIV tests

  8. Outreach Continued • Utilization of Youth Peer Educators to interact with younger women • Posting flyers and other printed materials in gas station, convenience store, and public school restrooms • Posting materials and visiting Laundromats in high-risk communities

  9. Referral Follow-Up and Linkage • The goal of TOPWA is to reduce the number of HIV transmissions to infants through intervention and linking women to prenatal care and other social services • Outreach Linkage Specialist maintains contact with clients to ensure they’ve completed their referrals • All enrolled clients are tracked through delivery; HIV-infected clients are followed until there is a confirmed HIV status for the infant.

  10. Success Story Jacksonville’s TOPWA Program: • Contacts 1,500 women through outreach annually • Enrolls 240 women through outreach annually???? • Enrolls 300 women through Shands Hospital partnership annually??? • Conducts 2 baby showers for their clients annually • Has reported only one HIV-positive birth out of the 54 HIV-positive clients enrolled

  11. Lessons Learned • Care/Case Management Model replaced with Outreach Linkage –determined that referring clients to existing CM programs was better use of program resources/time • TOPWA Clients are Fast-Trackeddue to the level of outreach and contact program staff maintains with service providers • Information Network –Local TOPWA program continues to share information with other TOPWA programs throughout the state for utilization of “best practices”

  12. For More Information: Frances Walker, Perinatal HIV Prevention Coordinator Florida Bureau of HIV/AIDS ~ 850-245-4444, ext. 2567 frances_walker@doh.state.fl.us Jackie Nash, Prevention Program Coordinator Avery Garner, Prevention Contract Manager Area 4 AIDS Program Office ~ 904-665-2588 avery_garner@doh.state.fl.us Deadra Green, TOPWA Program Coordinator Minority AIDS Coalition ~ 904-244-4038 deadragreen@bellsouth.net

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