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Case management team
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The Womens Collective Approach
Woman-focused: The Womens Collective chose to focus its resources on serving women because of a need to fill a very wide gap in services. The Womens Collective model takes in to account that the needs of women may be different from those of other populations. As women of color we are also sensitive to the various cultural nuances of African-American, Caribbean, Latina and African Women.
Peer-based: All programs of the Womens Collective are run by women who come from the same or similar backgrounds as the women we serve. We are an all female staff, some of whom are women living with HIV. In our experience women at risk and women living with HIV are often more comfortable receiving services from members of their own group. Therefore our outreach specialists who assist newly diagnosed women with obtaining services are also women living with HIV, and peer educators conducting outreach are women who have been at risk or are living with HIV.
Family-centered: In addition to being peer-based and woman-focused, all Womens Collective programs including prevention are family-centered. This means that child care is available during all activities, groups and services. Counseling and support for children and family members of our clients is provided as necessary. Families of the women we serve are also invited to participate in special events sponsored by the collective, such as the holiday party, and the annual African-American Walk for Life fundraiser. We recognize that women exist as part of a family unit that often needs services and support as well. Supporting the family is another way of supporting the woman.
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Outreach Specialists Aleta,
Danielle and Kyra
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Family-Centered Case Management
Our case management services are a part of a comprehensive family-centered program that provides peer support, creates connections between careseekers and caregivers, and promotes the participation and empowerment of women, their families, and members of their support network in developing care plans based on their self-defined needs. We accept, as well as provide, referrals for women, women and their children, to/from other programs that provide local primary medical care, support and mental health services for women with HIV/AIDS either currently not in a system of care or who need support to remain in a system of care. We provide services for women and their families that assists them in accessing respite care, childcare, housing, food, transportation services, etc.,ūproviding women with opportunities to take care of not only their own primary medical and psychosocial needs but also the needs of their children and other family members. This program currently serves over 155 women and 286 of their family members
Outreach Specialist Program
The Outreach Specialists, who are women living with HIV/AIDS, assist recently diagnosed women and those not receiving services to get into a formal system of care and support. The partnership between Outreach Specialists and the women we reach enables women to identify the issues and behaviors that affect their health and take the necessary steps to support and care for themselves. The Outreach Specialists target women in some of the poorest communities in the area and are a major part of all of our programs and services. They not only provide emotional support but they provide life-saving information. They go with women to doctors appointments, visit women at hospitals and provide support when women disclose their status to family members. Outreach Specialists understand the fear and negative attitudes from providers that can make women feel ashamed. They also understand the things that ultimately discourage women from seeking the services that could save their lives. This program has served over 1,200 women since its inception
Sister Circle Treatment Program
The Sister Circle treatment education program facilitates small group meetings, one-on-one counseling and training workshops with local physicians and women with and/or at high risk for HIV/AIDS to talk about AIDS treatment strategies and other health issues such as substance abuse, high blood pressure and cancer. This program has served over 250 women.
Support Services
We offer support services that include respite care; childcare support and transportation services so that women can attend doctors appointments, shop for food or attend to other types of business. This type of support is critical giving women an opportunity to take care of their (as well as their children/family members) primary medical and psychosocial needs.
Support Groups, Therapeutic Support Groups & One-on-one Counseling
We sponsor three support (skills building and psycho-educational) groups and in the last year convened over twenty-five support groups attended by over 300 women. We have a general Coffee House support group for women and their children, a group for lesbians with HIV/AIDS and one designed specifically for African women. Our support group model is built upon shared peer leadership and mutual self-help. These services have been available since the inception of the organization in 1993. In 2000 we began providing therapeutic support groups and this year are focusing on grief, empowerment and education for the women we serve. We also provide one-on-one counseling for women.
The Tiffany Fund
Our emergency assistance fund helps women to access crisis intervention services as well as financial assistance to meet the emergency needs of women with HIV/AIDS and their families. The Womens Collective helps women by processing applications to get grants and also provides direct financial assistance to cover medication, food, medical care, dental care, reproductive health care, child care, housing (including utilities) and transportation among others.
Drop-in Resource Room and Community Kitchen
Each day we provide in our office a safe space for women to conduct research, read, relax, eat and commune with other women and staff members. We have a TV/VCR with dozens of videos to help women with issues of disclosure, substance abuse, medications and other issues related to HIV/AIDS. We have two computers with highspeed Internet connections, a scanner and printer. The computers have programs that can assist women with resume building, typing skills as well as programs for the children who use our space while their mothers meet with staff. Our community kitchen provides a snack or meals for women who are often on fixed incomes or need food at specific times during the day to assist with complicated drug regimes. Our kitchen also has a pantry for women and families who are in immediate need of food.
Sisters in the Struggle
Our organizational newsletter is disseminated to women living with or at risk of HIV/AIDS across the metro area, as well as nationwide. Each issue provides peer/role model stories, where women share their life stories to help others. Information also includes medical updates and treatment information. We also identify referral resources in the areas of domestic violence, legal and other health care services. It is currently disseminated locally, nationally and internationally to over 3,000 contacts.
Training and Technical Assistance
We provide training and technical assistance to organizations and coalitions that want to develop or enhance their services or programs to better serve women and children. Over the last seven years, the Collective has sponsored or co-sponsored training activities for over 1,200 service providers and women living with HIV/AIDS. We have also met with dozens of AIDS service providers from the Ukraine, Spain, Brazil, Guyana, Malawi and other countries to provide them with insight and training on our model of care and support.
Local, National & International Policy Advocacy
Staff and women of The Womens Collective participate in numerous policy advocacy activities. We participate in the Ryan White Title I Planning Council, a key forum for decision making regarding local AIDS funding and prioritizing. The Womens Collective is also a member of the Ms. Foundations Advisory Committee for Innovative Health Care Models for Women with HIV/AIDS.
Friends of the Womens Collective
Our volunteer network includes members who have a broad range of expertise and includes physicians, attorneys, computer analysts, and clinical researchers, administrative assistants, writers, homemakers, and women and girls living with and/or at high risk for HIV/AIDS. The services provided by members of Friends of The Womens Collective benefit the organization in numerous ways. First, of course is the donation of their time and services to help the women that we serve. They also provide critical support to the organization by lending their expertise when we need assistance.
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