GET DOWN is an HIV/AIDS awareness PSA campaign which tackles the topic of safe sex among teens who are experimenting with multiple sexual partners. Not just a PSA, it's a movement!
- Produced, Written & Directed by Kim J. Ford
In a November 23, 2010 article, New York Times reported that Truvada, a tenofovir - emtricitabine combination anti-retroviral medication, has been found effective at reducing the risk of HIV infection among men who took the pill during the iPrex clinical trial. IPrex, an international study of 2,500 gay men/MSM coordinated by the Gladstone Institutes of the University of California, San Francisco found that 44% were less likely to become HIV infected despite continued exposure through unprotected sex while taking Truvada with a 90% compliance rate. Some limitations of the study included: low tolerance for side effects, which resulted in non-compliance; and participant unreliability, as demonstrated by inconsistencies between self-reported compliance rates vs. medication presence in the bloodstream, among others. While many in the AIDS care and treatment field tout the significance of these findings others have voiced their concerns, which range from the need for the studys replication with diverse at-risk populations to cost burdens.
In the article this protocol was being presented as PreP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) that can be used with men who cannot use condoms because they sell sex, are in danger of prison rape, are under pressure from partners or lose their inhibitions when drunk or high. However, the research found that although none developed resistance to Truvada, three were found resistant to emtricitabine. This suggests the occurrence of HIV infection/transmission, a risk too great to overlook. Breakthrough studies, such as iPrex, continue to remind us of the gains made in HIV/AIDS research; however we must never forget the underlying issues (i.e. sex work, incarceration, substance abuse/mental illness, low self-esteem, power differences within intimate relationships, etc) that place vulnerable people at risk of infection. Remaining cognizant of such issues should force us to view the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS from a broader context. Until the risk factors for HIV/AIDS can be treated with a pill, lets not be lulled into thinking that the prevention and eradication of HIV/AIDS is just a pill away.
I would like to welcome you to our website and to thank you for visiting. We are proud of our tradition of service, innovation, community involvement and advocacy for People living with HIV/AIDS. We hope you will find our website interesting and informative and that you will contact us. We would love to hear from you.
FACES NY formerly Minority Task Force on AIDS (MTFA) was established in 1985 in Harlem, New York, as a direct response to the needs raised at a conference co-sponsored by the Manhattan Borough President's Office and the New York City Council of Churches to examine the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on people and communities of color in New York City. The Minority Task Force on AIDS, Inc. became a registered not-for-profit organization in 1986.
Our founders saw how HIV/AIDS was destroying families, shattering lives and ruining the very fabric that kept communities whole. They believed a difference could be made by providing services that would help to stem this devastation. Toward that end, MTFA staffed by volunteers and operating from a one bedroom apartment on St. Nicholas Avenue in Harlem started its journey and its mission to serve people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. Today as FACES NY, we continue this tradition from four locations in Harlem and Washington Heights, respectfully ensuring that individuals are given the care and support necessary for them to achieve and maintain a healthy quality of life and to reconnect with family and community.
Services are tailored to reach the individual within his/her sphere of reference incorporating cultural nuances and mores. Faced with staggering statistics of high rates of infection among people of color within our communities and based on our collective experiences, we understand that the way service is provided has to be fluid, keeping in step with the changing needs of the community. To that end we are staffed by an experienced, knowledgeable and dynamic team of professionals, many of whom understand on a personal level the diverse needs of People Living with HIV/AIDS. We are also governed by a Board of Directors whose members are professionals in several disciplines and who are not only active in the local community but also active in national and international circles.
We hope you will find our website interesting and that you will add your voice, give of your time or make any other contribution to the continued fight against HIV/AIDS. Thanks for visiting and we look forward to hearing from you. In the fight against HIV/AIDS, every voice is important and every act vital.
Sincerely,
Violet Tabor, Executive Director
FACES NY is a diverse nonprofit organization which originated in Harlem and was established to assist people of color affected and infected with HIV/AIDS. FACES NY employs a client-centered, community focused approach to provide education, outreach, advocacy, supportive housing and direct services. FACES NY seeks to improve and extend the quality of life for people that it serves by encouraging self-determination.
Violet Tabor is the Executive Director of FACES NY, the oldest AIDS service organization in Harlem. She joined the organization in 1992 as the Deputy Director and served in that capacity until 1998 when she was promoted to Executive Director. Under her leadership, the agency has not only increased its overall budget and visibility but it has also increased its housing program through the development and construction of a 35 unit residence for families living with HIV/AIDS in Harlem and a nine unit residence in Washington Heights. She has also expanded the organizations scope of services to include specific services for adolescents and women.
Prior to joining FACES NY, Ms. Tabors work experience included being the Assistant Program Director at the National Center for Health Education where she was instrumental in expanding the reach of the organizations flagship program Growing Healthy© a national health education curriculum for elementary schools; an Assistant Project Administrator for an AIDS Research Project at State University of New York Hospital looking at the HIV/AIDS risk factors associated with women of child-bearing age; System Analyst at the investment firm, Goldman Sachs & Co., and a teacher of Mathematics. She has served on various committees and work groups, and also made presentations at schools and civic organizations on issues related to women, HIV and Caribbean cultural and economic development. Ms. Tabor is the past President of the Harlem Directors Group, and a member of the American Public Health Association. She has a Master of Science Degree in Jurisprudence with an emphasis on Health Law.
Kayode Agunbiade, CPA, MBA
Controller of FACES NY since 1999
Mr. Agunbiade has been a stabilizing force at FACES NY and has been instrumental in implementing strong internal controls which has led to the agencys financial viability and growth. His commitment to FACES is grounded in his dedication to strengthening the capacity of non-profit organizations to provide services in our communities.
Adam Pryce, CPA, M.Div
Senior Accountant
Member of FACES NY since 2002
My staff and I work as a team and account financially for the funding of all programs.
"Working at FACES allows me to interact with diversity of people of various backgrounds. It allows me to be more compassionate, appreciate, and understand the issues of HIV/AIDS."
Carline Numa, LMSW
Director of Social Services
As the DSS, my role is to assist FACES and its staff in meeting our programmatic goals and objectives, including those relative to our clients lives.
"My work is to uphold the mission and standards which guide the work that we do, for the benefit of the organization, staff and clients."
Harry Duggins is an accomplished designer and artist. His work spans the spectrum from fashion illustration to interior design for the theater and various dance companies. He lived and worked in Europe for many years for numerous fashion houses and dance companies in Paris, Italy, Spain and Scandinavia. Mr. Duggins considers himself a Harlemite having been born and raised in Harlem. For many years during the early and mid 1940s, he participated in Harlem's renowned Beaux Arts Balls and was featured in the Life Magazine (February 28, 1949). He remains an active member of the community by volunteering for the Winter Antique Show at Park Avenue Armory and as a Managing Officer of a Riverside Tenants Association. Mr. Duggins first volunteered at FACES NY (formerly Minority Task Force on AIDS), in 1986 at the prompting of a friend to prepare meals for clients. Four years later he joined the Board of Directors. Mr. Duggins' commitment to FACES NY is rooted in his passion for helping those in need and a deep understanding of the needs of the Harlem community.
Rudyard Whyte is a partner of the Cochran Firm NY specializing in litigation in the personal injury and medical malpractice arena. He heads the firm’s immigration unit. A graduate of Brooklyn College and Georgetown Law School, Mr Whyte has been a practicing attorney for over 26 years. Giving back to the community is a mantra of Mr. Whyte who is also a member of the board of The Midnight Run, an organization that serves the homeless and poor of NYC. He can be seen at various times serving in soup kitchens in Manhattan. He is also General Counsel for Highbridge Advisory Council Family Services, Inc., a non-profit organization that educates pre-kindergarten children in the South Bronx. A regular guest on 93.5 FM, Mr. Whyte provides the public and more specifically, the Caribbean community with legal advice on a wide range of topics. His dedication to FACES NY is borne out of his past friendships /relationships with his many friends and acquaintances that have been touched by the AIDS crisis.
Carole Doneghy is a retired Social Worker. She earned her undergraduate degree from Indiana University and a Masters in Social Work from NYU. She has lived in Harlem for over 55 years and has been actively involved with early childhood education in her community. For the past 35 years she has been the Chairperson of a large Daycare Center in Harlem. Her reason for serving on the FACES NY Board of Directors stemmed from her experience working at Harlem Hospital where she first saw a person with AIDS. He was a substance user and immediately she saw the connection between AIDS and drug use. Ms. Doneghy realized then, the overwhelming effects AIDS would have on the Harlem community and that something needed to be done. With that sense of purpose, she became a founding member of FACES NY and continues to serve because the fight against HIV/AIDS continues.
Barrie Adedeji is a Certified Public Accountant in private practice and holds a Masters degree in Intercultural Service, Leadership and Management from The School for International Training in Vermont. She lives in Harlem and has established herself as someone who is concerned about the welfare of people of the African Diaspora. She is the Financial Controller/Treasurer of AORTIC in New York, an organization formed by expatriate African cancer care workers, scientists and their friends, which is dedicated to the promotion of cancer control in Africa. She travels extensively to Africa, Europe and the Caribbean and was part of a team that convened a conference in Accra, Ghana in 2003 that focused on cancer care and early detection. As the Executive Director of ENHICA International, Inc. a research and advocacy based foundation, she has developed and organized workshops and seminars that address health and environmental issues in Africa and the Caribbean. Ms. Adedeji also finds time to be a mentor/advisor to professional women's groups in the international community and is an active member of Riverside Church. She joined FACES NY in 1989 and continues to serve because she sees the social issues that impact HIV/AIDS in Harlem as part of a global issue that still needs to be addressed.
Naomi Griffin is Director of Special Projects & Outreach at Harlem Hospital. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Adelphi University and later pursued a Masters Degree in Public Health from New York Medical College. Although not a native of Harlem, she has resided in Harlem for over 40 years and has immersed herself in the life of the community. She sits on several boards such as, Central Harlem Senior Citizens Council, Upper Manhattan American Cancer Society and the Lambda Kappa Sorority. She is also an active member of the Riverside Church. Ms. Griffin joined FACES NY because with the onset of the AIDS crisis in the early 1980’s, she saw the need for action and answered the call. She continues to serve out of concern for the devastating effects HIV/AIDS has had on her community.
Sean Hudson currently leads the US HIV/AIDS business unit for Pfizer, Inc. in New York. He graduated from Morehouse College in Atlanta with a degree in Finance and later received an MBA from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. After working on Wall Street for a while and marketing various products, his interest turned to Healthcare Strategy and Product Development which led him to working in Diabetes, Cholesterol and HIV/AIDS at Pfizer. Mr. Hudson understands how communities can impact the health outcome of community members and therefore is a firm believer that collaborative efforts by community stakeholders can strengthen our ability to help those in need. Mr. Hudson joined the FACES NY Board in 1999 and his vision is to see more people getting tested for HIV and more people having access to treatment and care.
Dr. Alfred Fayemi, is the Director of Laboratories at St. Mary Hospital in Hoboken, NJ and Clinical Associate Professor of Pathology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in NY. He is also an avid photographer with over 30 years experience in photography. His emphasis is on documentary photography of the way of life of black peoples of Africa, the Caribbean and the United States. He has published several books and his work has been exhibited in galleries throughout the United States and the Caribbean. Dr. Fayemi is no newcomer to the plight of People living with HIV/AIDS. His response to the AIDS pandemic is to not only join the board of FACES NY but also to provide assistance to people with AIDS in Africa. He is the founder and CEO of Ebenezer Charities, Inc. a non-profit organization committed to assisting PWAs, their families as well as orphaned children and their caretakers in Africa. Dr. Fayemi is committed to the mission and vision of FACES NY and recognizes the disproportionate impact the AIDS pandemic has had on people of African descent world wide.
Education Department
Over 800 individuals are engaged in HIV prevention and awareness services provided by the Education Departments staff. There are currently 4 initiatives being offered which are: HIV Counseling, Testing & Referral Services, the STAR Project (Seriously Talking About Risks) which is an early substance use intervention and HIV prevention initiative for young gay and bisexual men of color, treatment, The ASHA Project, which addresses HIV prevention and gender empowerment for women at risk for HIV with histories of substance use, and HIV/AIDS treatment adherence and secondary HIV prevention for individuals who are aware of their HIV/AIDS status.
Client Services Department
The Client Services Department consists of staff providing services for 2 distinct programs. The oldest running program is our Community-based Case Management initiative that serves over 70 individuals a year with supportive and comprehensive HIV case management services; and the HIRE Project (Health Initiatives for Reentry Ex-offenders) which serves over 125 individuals returning to the NYC area from prison and jails.
"FACES NY has provided me with the phenomenal experience of working with diverse staff and client populations. As much as we strive, as an agency, to uplift our clients from mediocrity I too have found myself to be uplifted personally and professionally which has added to the rewarding experience of working at FACES."
The Legal Services Department offers advocacy and legal representation to People Living with HIV/AIDS who require assistance with entitlement, AIDS related discrimination, housing, domestic relations, living wills, wills and health care proxies.The department also provides clients with legal education seminars which prepare them to advocate for themselves with government entities, medical service providers, employers and landlords. In addition, the department provides training and updates on HIV/AIDS related legislation and regulations to service providers.
"All human beings need help every once in a while. We've been offering that help in meaningful ways every minute of every day in all that time. It is good work and we have helped many people."
The Scatter-Site Housing programs manages three levels of housing for individuals and families infected by HIV/AIDS. Those programs are Scatter-Site I housing, for persons accepted by HASA and referred for housing, these are individuals or families whose primary issue is their HIV/AIDS status and homelessness. New Start Transitional Program (NSP), a 10 room 6 month program for persons infected with HIV/AIDS and is newly released from a correctional facility and would be homeless; last but not least, the Project for Assisted Living Program (PAL) is 15 apartment program designed for long term living for singles infected with HIV/AIDS and have an access one diagnosis.
"Housing is a fundamental right, without it you fail society in your moral obligation to care for others."
Congregate Supportive Housing Program
This program provides 31 single individuals with fully furnished, self contained apartments. Funded by HRA and other agencies, these apartments are located in Central Harlem and provide a safe, healthy, supportive environment for the residents. Services provided for the residents include case management, substance abuse counseling, recreational counseling, and nutritional counseling. Residents may also participate in educational and job readiness programs which are available as part of our comprehensive supportive services.
Women and Children Program
This is an independent living program with services for single mothers and their children. Upon entering the program, residents are given the keys to their very own brand new, fully furnished apartment. Located in Central Harlem, this 35 unit building has amenities such as a community room, laundry room, and a backyard playground built for the safety and comfort of the children.
Services offered include case management, substance abuse counseling, recreational counseling, nutritional counseling, GED, and job readiness programs. In addition to these services, residents in our Women and Children have the opportunity to participate in our agency wide Monday Night Dinner Program which is hosted in the Community Room. This weekly event provides a venue not only for a hot nutritious meal, but also for socialization and recreation.
"Working at FACES has afforded me an opportunity to help in providing vital services for people living with HIV/AIDS. While the services provided have improved their lives, the experience has greatly enriched my life."
General
FACES NY offer a free and confidential Pre & Post test counseling and HIV testing which is private and the results are only given to you.
Participating in unsafe sexual behaviors (i.e. not using a condom or barrier) or sharing intravenous drug paraphernalia (needles and inhalant instruments) will increase your risk factor for getting HIV.
No, FACES has an array of services that are HIV prevention in scope as well as an established referral base that can assist you with any needed social and healthcare services.
Although FACES provides basic incentives (Metro-cards, recreational activities and a Dinner Program) we strongly believe in empowering individuals through a client-centered approach, meaning we seek your buy-in, for assisting you in achieving an improved and healthier quality of life.
Scatter-Site Housing
HASA Scatter-Site Housing is housing provided to individuals or families who have been accepted by HASA. The reason it is called Scatter-Site, is because the apartments are scattered throughout the community in regular tenement buildings.
The major difference between Scatter-Site I and II is the time the agency holds the lease. For Scatter-Site I the lease remains in the agency name for as long as the agency rents the apartment. For Scatter-Site II housing the agency may choose to hold the lease for up to 1 year then the lease/apartment is turned over to the client.
Ideally, these programs were designed to help clients get a fresh start so they can gain the tools to successfully live completely independent. However, Scatter-Site Housing is there for those who need it, and can benefit from the added social services attached to the apartment. The length of stay depends on the clients readiness to live independently.
It is called a program because of the added social services that come with the apartment. Persons accepted into a Scatter-Site housing program must expect to participate in Case Management, Substance Abuse and other clinical services offered by the program.
As stated before, you must be accepted by HASA. Your HASA Case Manager will complete a housing application that is then electronically sent to those programs identified on your application.
Yes, most Scatter-Site programs are designed to respond to the housing and social needs of both individual clients and those requesting family units.
Your housing application will ask your choice of boroughs. Example: 1st Queens, 2nd Manhattan, 3rd Bronx, 4th Brooklyn. Your housing application will then be sent to Scatter-Site Housing programs according to your choice.
It depends on availability. Your electronic application will be sent to a program that is identified by your HASA case manager as having vacancies. If you are contacted by FACES NY, an appointment will be scheduled to familiarize you with the program and to answer any questions. Subsequently, a member of FACES NY housing staff will meet you at the apartment and go over their responsibility to you as a potential client. If you accept the apartment and all goes well, the process can take less than two weeks.
FACES NY catchment area is in Upper Manhattan and the Bronx.
317 Lenox Avenue
10th Floor
New York, NY 10027
212-283-9180 (tel)
212-865-4315 (fax)
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