National Center for HIV Care in Minority Communities

In response to the persistent and disproportionate impact of HIV on racial and ethnic minority communities in the United States, HHS has established the AIDS Education and Training Centers (AETC) National Center for HIV Care in Minority Communities (NCHCMC)  with the mission of advancing culturally competent, comprehensive, quality HIV care for racial and ethnic minority communities severely impacted by HIV/AIDS. In May, the AETC NCHCMC announced  the selection of 24 diverse community health centers to participate in the HIV in Primary Care Learning Community initiative. As a result of participating in this program, these community health centers will enhance their capacity to provide primary medical care to ethnic and racial minority individuals living with, at risk for, or affected by HIV.

Higher Suicide Risk For LGBT Surfaces In Community Study

A first-ever research study of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in Nebraska entitled Midlands LGBT Needs Assessment Community Report, has determined that the LGBT population has a significantly higher incidence of suicidal thoughts. Nearly 50 percent of the respondents indicated that they had serious suicidal thoughts at some point in their lives. The study looked at physical, mental, social, and sexual health aspects of participants.

Conducted by researchers with the Midlands Sexual Health Research Collaborative (MSHRC), the study provides a snapshot of the health and well-being of LGBT persons in Nebraska, a predominately rural state. Although LGBT Nebraskans overall see themselves as healthy, the study also found that more than 26 percent of the 770 people surveyed smoked. That compares to an average of 20 percent of the overall population. "Several studies have shown smoking rates to be higher among LGBT persons," Dr. Fisher said. "LGBT Nebraskans are no different and actually may be somewhat higher than other states due to higher levels of social stigma." Issues like suicide, smoking, sexual health and even seeking health care were linked to social conditions that allow for LGBT to be "out" about their sexual orientation and/or gender identity, Dr. Fisher said. "Almost across the board, we kept finding that persons who were more 'out of the closet' to family, friends, co-workers, and even casual acquaintances were more likely to be engaging in healthy behaviors," he said. 

Read more on the Medical News Today website. Read the report.

SAMHSA Recovery Month 2011 Public Service Announcements & Toolkit

The Recovery Month 2011 public service announcements (PSAs) are now available to view, download, and order on the Recovery Month website. The 2011 PSAs Milestones and Steps, produced in English and Spanish, depict positive, uplifting stories of how one person's recovery not only improves one's own life but positively affects the lives of everyone around. The PSAs are available in short and long versions, and as finished or open-ended spots for organizations and localities to adapt for local use. New this year is a web-only PSA, Re. Re is an animated PSA that promotes the benefits of recovery. Re can be viewed on the Recovery Month website and then linked to or posted on your website, or shared via the Recovery Month YouTube Channel. Re is available in English and Spanish.

The SAMHSA 2011 Join the Voices for Recovery: Recovery Benefits Everyone! Recovery Month Toolkit is available to order. The toolkit provides tools for groups concerned with mental illness and substance abuse to plan Recovery Month events, conduct media and targeted outreach, build coalitions, and combat stigma. It emphasizes recovery and health care reform. Download the digital version of the toolkit.

Tobacco Cessation Works: An Overview of Best Practices & State Experiences

Does Cessation Work? The Science Says YES! The report entitled Tobacco Cessation Works: An Overview of Best Practices & State Experiences, highlights findings from some of the key research undertaken on tobacco cessation and effective intervention strategies. The report discusses findings from numerous research including CDC’s Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs which details five essential components for comprehensive tobacco control programs using evidence-based analyses of state tobacco control programs:

• Interventions that increase quitting can decrease premature mortality and tobacco-related health care costs in the short-term
• Tobacco use treatment is more cost-effective than other commonly provided clinical preventive services, including mammography, colon cancer screening, Pap tests, treatment of mild to moderate hypertension, and treatment of high cholesterol.
• State action on tobacco use treatment should include the following elements:

• Sustaining, expanding, and promoting the services available through population-based counseling and treatment programs, such as cessation quitlines
• Covering treatment for tobacco use under both public and private insurance, including individual, group, and telephone counseling and all FDA-approved medications
• Eliminating cost and other barriers to treatment for underserved populations, particularly the uninsured and populations disproportionately affected by tobacco use
• Making the health care system changes recommended by the PHS guideline

Read the report (pdf). Access the Smoking/Tobacco Use Prevention Bibliography of Materials from MCH Library, The Maternal and Child Health Library at Georgetown University.

Trauma Informed Care and Violence Prevention - Recognizing Hyperarousal

The focus of this NNED Forum Call was to review basic trauma theory, provide an introduction to hyperarousal and to offer tips for practioners. The webinar explored answers to the following questions - What is hyper-arousal? What does hyper-arousal look like in a presenting patient? What are the clinical and behavioral manifestations of such? What does it look like in a young person? This was one of four webinars focusing on trauma informed care practices and interventions as a standard to hospital based and hospital linked programs in efforts of improving the effectiveness of health care based violence intervention programs.

For participants who missed the webinar download the slide handout and ACE Survey (pdf), and watch the recording. To be notified of future NNED Forum Calls become a NNED Member.

Presenters:

• Sandra Bloom, School of Public Health, Drexel University
• Landa C. Harrison, School of Public Health, Drexel University

Register for the second Transforming Violence Intervention in Health Care through Trauma-Informed Practice NNED Forum Call - "Why Can't I sleep? Why do I feel so numb?" Addressing Re-experiencing & Avoidance in Victims of Urban Trauma on August 16, 2011 1:00-2:00 pm ET.

NNED Forum Call: Trauma-Informed Care and Violence Prevention from Change Matrix LLC on Vimeo.

[ » More News & Announcements ]