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Project Family First Part 2
Hispanics, The "Umbrella Term"
Barriers to Prevention Program
Topics of Discussion/IDU
At this point, the multi-level theoretical framework comes into play. These focus groups will discuss all issues pertaining to HIV/AIDS among the Hispanic Community. However, the one prevalent topic that will constantly be addressed is IDU. Again, Puerto Ricans have a higher tendency toward IDU, and it for that reason that the topic is a mandatory component. Not only will this be beneficial for the parent who is already at risk, but enlightening for the youth who will soon be at risk. Again, this notion of “getting them while they’re young” is important because talking about it before it becomes an issue will undoubtedly help prevent future HIV cases.
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Other topics of discussion will deal with MSM, safe sex practices (condoms), government stance on HIV/AIDS and the social stigma involved with HIV/AIDS. These discussions are also important because these are common barriers to understanding the epidemic. Gaining a clearer understanding of the stigma and the risks involved with unsafe sex is crucial to building a bridge between healthcare and the Hispanic community.
These focus groups will also be a half-hour to an hour long. It is necessary to give enough time for questions and to get the necessary required information across. However, it should not get to the point where the families see the focus groups as a chore. They will also take place in the evening because teens are obviously in school during the day. The organization building for this program will be situated in 13204.
Counselors
Whereas the AIDS Community Resource had a lack of bilingual case managers, the counselors for Family First will mostly all be bilingual and from a minority status (preferably Puerto Rican/Hispanic). It is important to for that language barrier to be non-existent and for the families to feel comfortable. It is considerably easier to speak to someone who is similar to you, especially when talking about such sensitive topics. Creating a relaxed environment will undoubtedly help.
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This prevention program will fail if the right people do not come in. That is why Family First will resort to the traditional tactic of money incentives. Each participating family will receive 35$ to regularly attend these meetings. It is clear that right now there is a lack of involvement on the side of the Hispanics. It’s believed that some rates of HIV/AIDS may actually be higher due to a lack of Hispanics getting themselves tested (12). This lack of initiative could possibly result in families not attending these focus groups, but the money incentive is what will definitely draw some attention. Again, that lack of initiative is the exact reason this prevention program is going directly into the schools/neighborhood rather than setting up a stationary clinic.
Cost
The ACR this past year spent $3,264,161 dollars on all of its services. 32% of that was spent on prevention services (9). Therefore, because my program falls under the category of prevention services, it would cost 32% of the total expense. This comes out to be around $1,044,531. However, it’s important to keep in mind that Family First is one program, whereas ACR has many. Therefore, the cost would likely be much less.
Teens Not Enrolled in School
One possible limit is the fact that perhaps not all of the youth are in school. However, according to the U.S Census Bureau, the statistics prove otherwise (Table 5). The numbers show that for the elementary/ middle school range (5-14 years of age), 98% of students in zip code 13204 are in school. Therefore, only a small fraction of students are not attending school. It is also notable that as age rises (High school and college), the percentage in school also decreases. This proves that the teens I am targeting are the prime target to be working with.
Conclusion
It is important to keep in mind throughout my proposal is that I believe familialism is the key to understanding that AIDS epidemic. This can clearly be seen in the project name itself: Family First. Family is such an enormous component of Hispanic life that would be foolish to not use it to our advantage. By doing so, I believe that the rate of HIV/AIDS in Onondaga County for Hispanics can be reduced in severity. Furthermore, I believe that Family First is a step forward in understanding HIV/AIDS for Hispanics. However, it is also a step forward in understanding HIV/AIDS for everybody.
Encyclopedia Britannica Online