Out in the Mountains

VOICES FROM THE MOUNTAINS:

What |s‘Really Happening with HIV Prevention for Vermont Youth‘?

Cleland E. Selby

MIDDLEBURY -- This is the year that Vermonters should begin
hearing a lot more about HIV prevention. The Community
Planning Group, which has received its support through the
Vermont Department of Health, has created its prevention plan.
But what in that plan will prevent the spread of HIV in our high
risk youth population?

The answer is a rather simple one -- not much!

For whatever the reasons, the job of HIV prevention for school -
aged Vermonters has been assigned to the Department of
Education. And with that goes the well known “local control” issue
-- that local schools can determine a lot about what will and will
not happen in their schools.

And we are all aware that one of the curriculum areas in which
public schools are noted for doing almost nothing is human
sexuality. HIV prevention cannot occur where discussions about
human sexuality do not and cannot happen.

The State Department of Education has a quarter of a million dollar

federal grant which comes from the Center for Disease Control.
Nancy Emberley is the person at the Department responsible for
coordinating that grant. “The Department is supposed to be
meeting the needs of kids in schools, and we are trying to develop
a more comprehensive program to do that.”

Emberley readily admits that little can be done when local schools
do not wish to participate. The Act Relating to Comprehensive
Health Family Life Education does not require any commitment
from schools "to do anything. That law does not say where
education will occur, what it will be, or who will be doing it.

“You should talk to Shawn Donaghue,” Emberley said, “if you
want to talk to someone who has a passion for this.”

Donaghue began his work as a consultant with the Department last
June. He is located in the St. Johnsbury office (phone
(802)748-8640). He noted an irony about his past work in New
Hampshire and his present work in Vermont. New Hampshire has
no mandate for HIV prevention work in the schools; Vermont

_ Sta.tleDepartme
D Main Street, P.O

dancing.
Accordingto the5.U_,t‘geon.. e ‘e

your best pr I ' I - IDS

barringabsf =

I ealth, Division of E:
. Burlington, Vegzmota 0-

does. Yet the students in both
states are receiving about the
same amount of information --
almost nothing.

Beginning this summer,
teachers will have an
opportunity tobecome trained
in a program called “Be Proud,
Be Responsible” that Shawn
believes will work. The
program is one which he has
adapted from programs that
have a research base. And they
are programs that encourage
open, honest discussions about
human sexuality.

Both Nancy and Shawn are well
aware of their high risk
populations and the irony that it
is the Department of Education
that is being held responsible
for their prevention education.
This is the population of kids
who do not attend school, who
run away, who are addicted to
drugs and alcohol, and who are
rejected by their families.

“We have to reach them in
alternative ways,” says
Donaghue.

Donaghue also pointed out
another major problem. He
believes that a vast majority of
parents want quality human
sexuality education for their
children in public schools but
are often too afraid to speak out
because of the loud voices of
the minority who oppose such
discussions.

According to Emberley, her
Department and the Health
Department share equally the
responsibility of working on
HIV prevention for high risk
youth. She also readily admits
that the communication
between the two Departments
needs to be remedied. In the
meanwhile only a few people
like Shawn Donaghue are
available to provide
opportunities for Vermont
youth to become involved in
learning how to make better
choices about their sexual
practices.

Cleland E. Selby is Education
Coordinator for Eckerd Family
Youth Alternative, an
independent school for abused
adolescents.

All readers are encouraged to
take their turn at the editorial
bat and let their voices be heard
on the topic of their choice.
Send articles/columns to Out In
The Mountains, P. 0. Box I 77,
Burlington, VT05402, or via
the Internet at
0utVermont@aol.com. V

 

Vermont Gay Social
' Alternatives
Founded 1990
For membership information write:
VGSA, P.O. Box 237,

Burlington, VT 05402-0237
or call Cliff 985-4937, Bob 865-3734