HIV Prevention Planning Group

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The HIV Prevention Planning Group (PPG) was formed in 1995. It serves both as an advisory body to the Sonoma County Department of Health Services and as the Prevention Committee of the Sonoma County Commission on AIDS. The PPG actively implements, monitors and evaluates the Sonoma County Multi-Year HIV Prevention Plan.

The vision of the PPG is to achieve the maximum reduction of new HIV infections in Sonoma County. The PPG strives to achieve this vision through the following operational goals:

1. To increase and maximize resources available for Sonoma County HIV prevention efforts.
2. To increase providers' level of knowledge about what works in prevention.
3. To increase the effectiveness of prevention efforts in the County.
4. To gain knowledge about at-risk populations.

What's New

The Prevention and Planning Division has submitted a Scope of Work that met the criteria set forth by the Department of Health Services/Office of AIDS and is based on the priorities discussed at the June 2, 2005 Prevention Planning Group meeting. At this meeting the PPG identified and prioritized the following issues for further development:

• The relationship between methamphetamine use and HIV
• Advocacy/social marketing strategies to raise awareness that HIV is still a priority issue
• Exploring the rise of HIV infections among Latinas in Sonoma County
• Exploring political ramifications of funding trends
• Addressing the issue of an apparent lack of believable/trusted information
• Relationship between homophobia and HIV transmission .
  

HIV Prevention Priorities

Over the last sixteen years the total number of persons in Sonoma County living with HIV/AIDS has steadily increased and the number of new infections has steadily declined.  Recently, however, we have begun to see a slower rate of decline in new cases.  Many factors contribute to increase in risk behaviors among both those who are HIV+ and those who are not currently infected with HIV.

Assuring that prevention services are responsive and proactive with respect to the changing nature of the HIV/AIDS epidemic will drive the direction of Sonoma County Prevention efforts through 2010.  Through a community planning process, the Sonoma County HIV Prevention and Planning Group (PPG) prepared new prioritization and funding guidelines in 2007 as part of a revised Multi Year Sonoma County HIV Prevention Plan.  In an effort to focus specifically on behaviors which place an individual at risk for contracting or transmitting HIV, the PPG utilized a results-based planning approach to identify desired outcomes, indicators and performance measures. Through review of local and state epidemiological data, community panels, literature review, presentation of best practice information and provider expertise, the PPG recommended a prevention plan which prioritizes at-risk populations paired with a specific set of prevention strategies.  The recommended strategies are further defined below and are based on recent studies which support these strategies as most effective in reaching individuals at high risk for contracting or transmitting HIV, and in promoting positive behavioral changes which support a decrease in the rate of new HIV infections.

Primary goals of the HIV Prevention Plan include:

• Providing education and awareness of risk reduction strategies to persons with co-occurring conditions of mental illness and alcohol and/or other drug addiction;
• Reducing barriers to early diagnosis of HIV infection among persons with co-occurring conditions of mental illness and alcohol and/or other drug addiction
• Eliminating racial and barriers in the delivery of HIV related prevention and support services;
• Improving awareness of HIV status through increased knowledge of risk and widespread testing;
• Connecting those testing positive for HIV/AIDS with primary care and/or HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention services as early as possible; and,
• Facilitating access to quality medical care, treatment, and ongoing prevention services for those diagnosed with HIV and their partners;

Target Populations are:

• HIV negative Substance Users including IDUs and MSM
• HIV negative Young MSM
• HIV negative Women at sexual risk especially Latinas
• HIV negative Men who have sex with men and women and men with multiple partners including Latinos
• HIV negative Non-gay identified men who have sex with men and women
• HIV positive individuals who use drugs and do not practice safe sex

The Prevention Planning Group welcomes any commentary from the general public. Please contact Ellen Swedberg at 707-565-6683 or eswedber@sonoma-county.org for more information.

Calendar

The PPG and HIV Prevention Planning Working Group meets quarterly on the third Thursday of the month at 3:00 p.m. at the DHS Conference Center, Guild Hall in Santa Rosa (map this location). This committee reviews and assesses HIV/AIDS prevention programs in the community and develops and implements strategies to increase knowledge and awareness of HIV/AIDS.

The Schedule - FY 2008-2010 is as follows:

In the next fiscal year the PPG will do the following work during quarterly meetings.

October 16, 2008
- this meeting will focus on national and local best practices for prevention

February 19, 2009
- this meeting will highlight the work on local HIV prevention providers

June 18, 2009
- this meeting will review the current services that are being provided and look to planning next steps. This proposed schedule would eliminate the December 18 and April 16 meetings that were previously scheduled when we met on alternate months.

Who's Who
Community Partners

We are recruiting new members at this time. If you would like an application, please contact Ellen Swedberg at 707-565-6683 or eswedber@sonoma-county.org

HIV Prevention Planning Group members
Shari Brenner
Lynn Campanario
Rick Dean
Christopher Matthews
Chris Santini
Myriam Scally
Scott Voelte

Information and Resources

• The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Office of AIDS (CDPH/OA) HIV Education and Prevention (E&P) Branch provides funding to local health jurisdictions (LHJs) to support the development and implementation of comprehensive education and prevention strategies targeted toward individuals in behavioral risk groups (BRGs) most likely to become infected with or transmit HIV disease. Education and Prevention 2007 – 2010 Program Guidance

• HIV Multi-Year Plan Part 1
• HIV Multi-Year Plan Part 2
• Community Action Plan - Prevention of HIV Transmission among Methamphetamine Users

These documents are saved in Adobe Acrobat format and you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the reports. Visit our page to download Acrobat Reader.

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