Health De

partment

Seeks Community Participation
in AIDS Prevention Planning

The Vermont Department Of Health
AIDS Program is launching an un-
precedented program to involve af-
fected communities in HIV/AIDS pre-
vention planning.

Through a new, federally mandated pro-
gram, the AIDS Program is seeking
community members to serve on a
statewide HIV Prevention Comunity
Planning group. The group will conduct
a needs assessment of prevention pri-
oroties in Vermont and develop a com-
prehensive plan for prevention activ-
ities. This plan will then be the basis for
future state activities.

The planning group, which will have ap-
proximately 20 members, must be com-
posed of a membership roughly repre-
sentative of the HIV/AIDS epidemic to
date in Vermont. As gay and bisexual
men account for two-thirds of the AIDS
cases in the state to date, representation
from the gay community will be es-
sential. It is particularly important that
the committee reflect the diversity of the
community in terms of geography, age,

race, HIV status, “outness”, and ec-
onomic and educational backgrounds. In
addition to gay and bisexual men, the
group will also strive to have repre-
sentation from past and current injection
drug users, ethnic and racial minorities,
rural populations, low income people,
and people with particular expertise in
various prevention issues.

“This is an exciting oportunity to really
examine what we are doing and what we
need to do for HIV prevention in Ver-
mont” according to Terje Anderson,
AIDS Program Chief at the Department
of Health. “For prevention to really
work, we have to involve affected com-
munities at all stages of designing and
implementing programs. This process
will be a big part of doing that.”

Anyone interested in serving on the
planning group should contact Terje An-
derson at the Department of Health 1-
800-244-7639 or 863-7245 to receive a
brief application form. Applications
must be received no later than April
21. It is anticipated that most planning

Health Resource Organizations

AIDS HOTLINES:
Vermont

New Hampshire
New York State

1-800-882-2437
1-800-752-2437
1-800-541-2437

Massachusetts 1-617-522-4090
Maine 1-800-851-2437
National 1-800-342-2437
Canadian 1-613-563-2437

AIDS Community Awareness Project
(ACAP)

PO Box 608

St. Johnsbury VT 05819

(802) 748-1149

AIDS Community Resource
Network (ACORN)

PO Box 2057

Lebanon NH 03766

(603) 448-2220

Bennington Area AIDS Project
PO Box 1066

Bennington VT 05201
(802)442-4481 or 1-800-845-2437

Brattleboro AIDS Project
PO Box 1486

Brattleboro VT 05302
(802) 254-4444 (Helpline)
(802)254-8263 (Office)

Franklin-Grand Isle AIDS Task Force

P. O. Box 241, St. Albans VT 05478

(800) 524-7742 - (802) 638-7834

Friends Vermont

Emotional, Spiritual, & Psychological Support
PO Box 402

Bristol, VT 05443

1 800 639-3316

Gay/Lesbian Alcoholics Anonymous
GLAA, P.O. Box 5653
Burlington, VT 05402

Lesbian Cancer Support Group
(802) 660-8386

North Star (Holistic Health Care)
RR2 Box 3255
Morrisville VT 05661 - (802) 888-2858

group meetings will take place on week-
ends at relatively central locations, with
the most intense level of activity taking
place from late May through August. Com-
munity members will be eligible for sti-
pends to help cover the cost of trans-
portation, meals, child care and lost wages.

In addition to the planning group itself,
community input will also be sought
through Comunity meetings, public
hearings, surveys and focus groups.
There will also be opportunities for
community members to be part of
workgroups and subcomittees of the
planning group. V

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Vermont AIDS Council
PO Box 275
Montpelier VT 05601 ° (802) 229-2557

Vermont C.A.R.E.S.

(Committee for AIDS Resources,

Education, and Services)

PO Box 5248

30 Elmwood Avenue

Burlington VT 05401

(802) 863-2437 (Burlington)
1-800-649-2437 (Outside Burlington Area)

Vermont Department of Health
1-800-882-2437 (AIDS Hotline) or
(802) 863-7245 (AIDS Program office)

VT PWA Coalition
PO Box 1055 - Brattleboro, VT 05302
1-800-698-8792 or (802) 222-5123

Vermont Women’s Health Center
336 North Avenue
Burlington VT 05401 - (802) 863-1386

April 1994