Year - Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
[Year]
The Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention (Black CAP) has worked for 26 years to curb the HIV epidemic in Toronto's African, Caribbean and Black (ACB) communities. The largest service provider of its kind in Canada, we are a community of outreach experts, support specialist and activists, dedicated to improving health outcomes for ACB people who are living with and affected by HIV. The mission of Black CAP is to: Reduce the spread of HIV infection within Toronto’s ACB communities Enhance the quality of life of people living with, or affected by, HIV or AIDS HIV is spreading quickly in Toronto’s ACB communities and we believe that our work is more important than ever. Our work is guided by our motto, 'Because All Black Peoples’ Lives Are Important', which serves as a reminder that ACB people are at especially high risk and are at even greater risk of experiencing negative outcomes when they are not connected to care and services. At this time, ACB people account for almost one-fourth of all new HIV infections in Ontario; in the early nineties we made up only one-tenth of new HIV infections. Issues of HIV related stigma and discrimination, homophobia, anti-Black racism, immigration, poverty, and barriers to social inclusion also continue to make our work harder. Black CAP 2014/15 Annual Report 2
Board members Trevor Gray – Chair Cecile Peterkin – Vice-Chair, Chair – Events Committee Andrew Campbell – Treasurer Alex Mason – Secretary Wesley Watson – Co-Chair Fund Development Committee Maureen Owino Adedapo Fabunmi – Co-Chair Communications Committee Alex Mason David Lewis (resigned October 2014) Monique Habbib Joanne Gaskin Janaya Khan – Co-Chair MEPA Committee Cherese Reemaul (resigned November 2014) Lounanjio O’Sullivan (joined January 2015) Mandy Miles (joined January 2015) Staff Abigail Oduneye – Harm Reduction Coordinator Alena Peters – Administrative Assistant (resigned December 2014) Amanda Parke – Outreach Coordinator Andre Hermanstyne – Harm Reduction Coordinator Andrew Persaud – Harm Reduction Peer Educator Anthony Nnaji – Volunteer Coordinator Antoney Baccas – MSM Outreach Coordinator (on leave as of March 2015) Cindy Jolly – Support Coordinator Clorine McNeish-Weir – Women’s Peer Support Coordinator Craig Cromwell – Refugee Settlement Coordinator Elliot Imalele – Administrative Assistant Emerencia Nkemchia – Receptionist Floyd French – MSM Peer Educator Francine Burke – Financial and Administrative Coordinator Garfield Durrant – MSM Prevention Coordinator Geoff McIntosh – Fundraising Officer Hope Ramsay – Program Manager Ido Edeh – Intake Coordinator Jalila Muhammad – Employment Counsellor Jeard Strachan – MSM Outreach Coordinator Keith Cunningham – Outreach Coordinator (resigned May 2015) Kemar Brown – PHA Settlement Coordinator Ken Jemmott – Network/Systems Administrator Lena Soje – LGBT Settlement Coordinator Mary Yehdego – Prevention Coordinator Rose Njeri – Women’s Support Coordinator (on leave as of January 2015) Sem Teklemariam – Women’s Support Coordinator Shannon Thomas Ryan – Executive Director Black CAP 2014/15 Annual Report 3
Chair and Executive Director’s Report
Dear friends,
Black CAP’s work to address HIV in Toronto’s African, Caribbean and Black communities
continues to shift as we develop new approaches to prevention, support and outreach. We work in
a rapidly changing sector and over the last year we’ve worked to address issues such as the
emergence of new prevention technologies including PrEP, an increasingly mobilized Black
community, the increasingly complex support needs of our clients and an aging community of
people who are living with HIV. In light of these changes we’ve also worked to maintain our
relevance and responsiveness to the shifting needs of our community.
In a year that saw the emergence of the Black Lives Matter movement, our motto “Because all
Black Peoples’ Lives are Important” seems more relevant and urgent than ever. Our motto is
reflective of the commitment of Black CAP’s Board and staff as we work to ensure that Black CAP
has a real impact in the lives of Black people living with, or at risk for, HIV in Toronto. Over the last
year Black CAP has accomplished a lot and this annual report gives you a snapshot of our work in
2014/15. Details about our programs and services are provided later in this report and will give
you a fuller sense of the work of program staff and our volunteers.
Black CAP works to ensure that our strategic plan guides the work of the agency and in 2014/15
we worked hard to bring this plan to life. The Board has worked to fulfill its role in providing
governance leadership and in supporting staff and volunteers to manage the operational activities
within the agency. As you may recall, our 2011-2015 Strategic Plan is divided into four strategic
directions. We’ve divided our report to reflect these directions and below are some highlights.
Solidify Our Base
Improving Programs and Services for Vulnerable Populations and Strengthening Operations
The Board was quite focused on improving its governance capacity over the year. This
included a review of policies, an updating of the Board manual, the development of new
Board evaluation tools and the creation of a new code of conduct. This work allowed us to
ensure that the Board is efficient in its oversight of the agency’s work. In addition, the
Board significantly expanded the role of Committees and recruited a number of new
volunteers to play roles in relation to fundraising, event planning, MEPA1 and
communications.
In early 2015, Black CAP initiated a project to develop a new health resource for Black gay
and bisexual men (Black MSM). This resource, developed in collaboration with the Gay
Men’s Sexual Health Alliance, will support Black MSM to connect to relevant services and
1 MEPA: The meaningful engagement of people living with HIV or AIDS.
Black CAP 2014/15 Annual Report 4supports in the Toronto/GTA region and raise awareness of current trends and issues
impacting sexual health, HIV risk and overall health among Black MSM. The development
phase included a survey of almost 150 Black gay and bisexual men in Toronto and this data
will be used to publicly launch a resource in late-2015.
Staff participated in a broad range of training over the year to increase their capacity to
deliver programs and services. Training included anti-racism and anti-oppression (AR/AO),
boundaries training, emotional first aid, human trafficking and exploitation and others.
Black CAP and Dr. Lance McCready of the University of Toronto were awarded a CIHR
Catalyst Grant to convene a team of researchers and partner agencies to assess what is
known about the vulnerabilities, risks and HIV-related health behaviours of newcomer and
refugee African, Caribbean, and Black MSM. The project will result in a review of the
feasibility of existing resources and programs for Black MSM and the design and
development of a new program to reduce vulnerability to HIV.
Black CAP moved to 20 Victoria Street five years ago and our existing lease comes to an end
in early 2016. As a result, we’ve been in negotiations with the landlord over the past
several months to sign a new lease. The lease is now signed and we now plan to be in this
location until 2026.
Enhance Our Visibility
Building Awareness of Black CAP’s Work
In the Fall of 2014 the Board determined that the communications needs of Black CAP are
quite complex and require more focus. Shortly thereafter, the Board launched a
Communications Committee that provides overall strategic advice and direction in the
development of the agency's communication processes, policies and planning. The
Committee is planning to conduct a communications audit of the agency in the coming
months.
Black CAP continued to build its presence on social media. This included significant growth
in likes on Facebook and followers on Twitter and the creation of two successful Facebook
groups connected to our Harm Reduction and Socialite 411 programs.
Black CAP launched a new website that included all new content. This site allows Black CAP
to increase its visibility and communicate its work in better ways. In addition, a number of
other communications materials were updated over the year; this included a new agency
pamphlet.
Invest in MEPA and Achieving Equity
Working Towards Inclusion
Over the year, the agency’s MEPA Committee continued its work. MEPA stands for the
meaningful engagement of people living with HIV or AIDS and the goal of this Committee is
to provide guidance on how to continuously improve the operationalization of MEPA and
principles at all levels. The Committee is working to develop a workplan that will include a
number of activities to increase Black CAP’s commitment to MEPA.
Black CAP also expanded programming to meet the needs of its clients who are living with
HIV or AIDS. For instance, earlier this year we established a new support group for HIV
positive women who are aging. The role of this group is to create a safe space where HIV
positive women who are above 50 years old can come together and discuss common issues
and support each other.
Black CAP 2014/15 Annual Report 5 The agency continued its work to achieve equity and inclusion. Two examples of this
include a focus on training at the Board and staff levels. Both groups attended full day
trainings on anti-oppression to ensure that the Black CAP environment is inclusive.
Black CAP held its fourth annual Black Women Moving Forward Event earlier this year.
This event was created to inspire and empower Black HIV positive and LGBTQ women, and
to honour their contributions and accomplishments in their life journey. The event
recognizes women who have demonstrated positive change in the community or have
shown personal leadership in the following categories: Education, Volunteering,
Leadership, Commitment, Personal Growth, Mentorship and Resiliency.
Diversify and Increase Our Revenues
Securing New Resources
In November 2014, the agency hired its first part-time fundraising staff. This staff allowed
Black CAP to begin a process to develop additional capacity for fundraising.
Black CAP’s Fund Development Committee was also especially busy over the year. The
Committee oversaw the development of a new agency-wide fundraising strategy that
includes a number of goals. These include a focus on the development of a monthly giving
program, tools to allow for the successful delivery of fundraising events, donor recognition
and others.
Black CAP’s existing strategic plan will come to an end in early 2016. Over the coming months the
staff and Board will work to assess our progress against this plan and to lay the foundation for the
development of a new 2016 to 2021 strategic plan that takes us into the next decade. We look
forward to engaging our clients, staff, volunteers and membership in this process.
The Board and management would also like to offer thanks to all Board members, staff and
volunteers who work at Black CAP. Your energy and dedication have a real impact in our
community. We would also like to thank those who are no longer working with us. Over the last
year two Board members submitted resignations and the seats were filled by two community
members. We would like to thank departing Board members David Lewis and Cherese Reemaul
for playing an important role on the Board. We would also like to thank our auditor Thomas
Kriens of Kriens-Larose and Associates and our accountant Sylvia Draper-Fernandez for their
excellent work in monitoring Black CAP’s finances.
Finally, we hope this report gives you a sense of our work over the past year. We look forward to
supporting our clients and community in the coming year and we hope you will join us in
accomplishing new successes.
On behalf of the Board and staff of Black CAP,
Trevor Gray Shannon Thomas Ryan
Board Chair Executive Director
Black CAP 2014/15 Annual Report 6Our Services at a Glance
Black CAP remains indebted to the dedicated team of staff members who have served in our
programs over the past fiscal year. I want to personally thank and congratulate everyone on
another year of great accomplishments, both professionally and personally.
As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. I will therefore use pictorial
representation to share some accomplishments of our Support; Outreach, Prevention and Harm
Reduction teams. Here is some information from the Outreach, Prevention and Harm Reduction
teams:
Over the past three years we have seen a
Number of steady increase in the number of
Presentations workshops delivered. This diagram to
the left depicts the number o workshops
80 65
54
70 conducted in each of the past three (3)
60 fiscal years
40 Workshops provide a great opportunity
20 to reach ACB adults and youth. In 2014-
0 2015, the seventy workshops were
2012 - 2013 2013 - 2014 2014 - 2015 delivered to 1,159 participants including
Figure 1: Number of Presentations delivered
at-risk youth and adults, people who use
substance, healthcare providers,
educators and clergy personnel
We will now turn our attention to some information on the profile of our service users.
A total of 582 clients were
400 361 served in 2014-2015.
350 Of the 361 females; 42
300 were new PHAs and 72
250 221 were new LGBTQ
200 Male Of the 221 males, 43 were
137 new PHAs and 137 were
150 Female
72 new LGBTQ
100 Family/Other
43 42 41 Another 41 persons who
50 8 were either family
0 members, or who didn’t
New PHA New LGBTQ Total identify their gender were
Clients
Served
served, with 8 of these
being new PHAs
Figure 2: Clients Served in 2014-2015
The Support team continues to work on delivering high quality service in every aspect of the work.
More than ever, we have seen a vast increase in the number of new clients served, especially
among our refugee population. We served approximately twice times the number of LGBTQ
clients (209) to PHAs (93), but we are very encouraged about the fact that there were 93 new
PHAs this year.
Black CAP 2014/15 Annual Report 7Another important aspect of our work is the financial assistance we provide to clients. Over the past three years we have distributed approximately $45,000.00 to 465 clients with 131 clients receiving approximately $15,000 in assistance in 2014-2015 in the form of direct funds, food vouchers, transportation, etc. I must also thank our Volunteer, Administrative and Fundraising teams who have contributed significantly to the successes this year. I encourage you to read the reports prepared by each of our staff, as this will give you great insight into what they’ve been up to over the year. Of course, all this could not be accomplished without the great donors and partners we have had. I would like to specially acknowledge and thank the following agencies who have contributed tirelessly to our work: ACCHO, APAA, PASAN, WHIWH, CAAT, Fred Victor Centre, Fife House, Francoqueer, Toronto Public Health and the Teresa Group. As we embark on another year, we anticipate that we will face our challenges with resilience and continue to work with full determination to positively impact the lives of those living with, and at risk for, HIV. We know that the fight isn`t over as yet, but we continue to make a difference in the lives of those we serve; doing so one client at a time. In unity, strength and hope for better days ahead. Hope Ramsay Program Manager Black CAP 2014/15 Annual Report 8
Our Programs In the Words of Our Staff Below are short summaries of our programs written by our program and front-line staff. Client Intake Program As the King of Hearts told Alice in Wonderland, the best course is usually to begin at the beginning. This advice is appropriate for our work with new clients, which begins with a good intake and screening that will aid in creating a case record and proper documentation. The intake process at Black CAP is essential to us because this is the stage where we screen and determine if an individual is eligible for our services/programs and also this is the stage where the client gets to meet with a staff formally. We understand that most of our clients are not immediately open to discussing their sexual orientation or HIV status, so, in conducting an intake/screening, we break the ice by making the client feel welcome and comfortable and not asking the tough questions at the beginning of an intake. The intake is not just taking basic details such as the name, contact number, date of birth, etc. of clients; it also provides adequate information that will assist every client as each has a unique and different case. On a daily basis, we see clients who want an intake and over the year, we conducted 289 new intakes. We often hear feedback from clients such as: “I feel at home when I come to Black CAP because no one is judging or discriminating against me”; “The environment at Black CAP is friendly, warm, welcoming and different”; “Black CAP has helped me know my community”; “Black CAP has helped me accept myself and not feel ashamed regardless of my HIV status or sexuality”. Sometimes we also get complaints, recommendations or suggestions from clients and we take all these openly and positively because it helps us get better, do better, and strive to provide quality services in ACB communities. Ido Edeh Intake Coordinator PHA and LGBT Settlement Program The PHA and LGBTQ Settlement program is a vital part of the Support Department at Black CAP. This program is specific to PHA and LGBTQ convention refugees and the goal of the program is to assist clients by working from a client-centered approach to allow them to reach their full potential as newcomers to Canada. Clients and staff work together to identify the goals and their needs. The goals can be both short and/or long term. Their focus is not just settlement, but also integration into the Canadian society. Staff members review barriers that prohibit these goals such as HIV stigma, homophobia, past trauma, and the idea of being their authentic self in Canada after having lived a life where they had to hide their true identities to conform to societal standards. This program also encourages clients to use their strengths and resilience to accomplish their goals, for instance this year more than half of our clients returned to school. Clients are no longer just looking for a job but focusing on long term career plans. The settlement program significantly exceeded its targets in relation to subsequent visits in 2014/15. At year end we supported 106 PHA and LGBTQ convention refugees and achieved 126% (1209/960) of our target for subsequent client visits. Black CAP 2014/15 Annual Report 9
We see the impact the PHA and LGBTQ Settlement Program is making every day. For example, we often see the difference it makes when a client comes into the organization requesting assistance with filling out an application, or attending a support group for the first time. Giving people a sense of belonging or the motivation to achieve short and long-term goals creates real pride in the work we do. It’s also a good feeling when the people accessing the services take the time to say thank you and show appreciation for the assistance they receive. While we get paid for the work we do, a simple thank you and words of kindness from those we help, is the biggest payment we could ever ask for. We continuously receive e mails and clients returning to the agency to say “Thank you for the support because they don’t know how they would have made it thus far without Black CAP”. Clients also send in follow up emails of their progress based on the discussions that takes place during our one-on-one assessments. They have reported on how much they were able to accomplish since having an assessment and the chance to put their short and long term goals in place. We have had clients expressed that without the information received from us they were not able to find out where or how to go about getting things done. For instance, a client who received support told us that she was “reuniting with my kids after waiting for a long time not knowing if I would ever see them again thanks to Black CAP”. Clients have also expressed how happy and grateful they are for our Fall into Winter/Spring into Summer clothing drives. They have said things such as “ Thanks to Black CAP having a this drive because they come here when its winter and not having any thing appropriate for the weather until they get to our clothing drive. “I had one outfit only for the longest time and thanks to this clothing drive I can change outfits all the time now”. Kemar Brown Lena Soje PHA Settlement Coordinator LGBT Support Coordinator Harm Reduction Program The Harm Reduction Program continues to expand and we have identified a number of successes in the past year. Services we provide include community outreach, youth and adult workshops, capacity building workshops for service providers, training for new program volunteers, student placement opportunities and referrals. Our services are delivered across the city; this includes the downtown core, Rexdale and Scarborough. Over the year, the program has conducted 340 outreach shifts, recorded 1,238 interactions and distributed 59,822 harm reduction resources including condoms, pipes and needle kits reaching over 8,000 community members. We also conducted 15 training sessions for 54 new program volunteers on conducting outreach safely. We have held 22 drop-in sessions which were attended by 358 community members. Topics for the drop-in include harm reduction and associated issues, documentaries and current events that are pertinent to people within our community. We have conducted 687 workshops attended by 1,122 participants. In the course of the year the Harm Reduction program delivered 7 workshops to students at Centennial College. On February 3, 2015 the Harm Reduction program facebook page was created. We currently have a total of 327 likes, to date we have made a total of 201 posts with 11,981 reaches. We have also connected with a number of international harm reduction organizations including Harm Reduction Coalition located in the U.S.A, Harm Reduction Victoria located in Australia, Harm Reduction for Alcohol located in U.S.A, European Harm Reduction Network, Eurasian Harm Reduction Network (EHRN), West Africa Commission on Drugs, New Zealand Drug Foundation, European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) and others. Black CAP 2014/15 Annual Report 10
We held two major outreach events this year; Sunfest and Snowfest at Moss Park during summer
and winter respectively. The objectives of these events are to educate members of the community,
raise awareness and increase knowledge on harm reduction, HIV transmission and testing,
provide information and increase accessibility to harm reduction programs and services through
collaboration with community partners and to identify trends through the analysis of data from
surveys. We also encourage members of the community to get tested for HIV. From the two events,
22 people got Point of Care Testing (POCT). The events were attended by 635 community
members reaching a total of 1,435 people through social media, electronic and other publicity
platforms. The survey was completed by 475 individuals. For Sunfest 2014, the trends identified
were published in the city epidemiological update in December 2014.
Below are testimonies from two of our program participants who attend our drop-in and
participate in outreach and other program activities:
“I come here for the company, I feel safe here, before this I never knew what Black CAP was all
about and now I consider Black CAP a second home, the drop in is something to look forward
to.”
“What I love about this drop in is you get a chance to meet friends, interconnect. One thing I
like is the connection, meeting different groups. I also like the food that is provided, and to sit
down and watch a movie and explain what life is all about in regards to other cultures and
what’s happening and going on.”
Abigail Oduneye, Andre Hermanstyne and Andrew Persaud
Harm Reduction Program Coordinators
Community Outreach Program
The Community Outreach Program is the people’s eyes and ears in the ACB (Africian, Caribbean
and Black) Community that we serve. Our mission is to increase the knowledge and awareness of
behaviors that place people at risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, promote and
distribute information on prevention and sexual health messages and also debunking stigma and
discrimination with a vision that through this the rate of new infections and levels of HIV stigma
will decrease. We do so through street outreach at barbershops, community events, bars, and
clubs, workshops, and other spaces where condoms and resources are distributed and
conversations are carried out in a safe environment.
The Community Outreach Program continues its streak of success by constant referrals from
community partners to the extent that we are unable to meet all requests for venues both within
and outside of our catchment areas, and also by a vast increase in new partners such as Spice
Youth Initiative Annual Sports and Health Day, Grenada Education Fund Comedy Nights, Black
Action Defense Committee INC, East Metro Community Centre, and the Rexdale NAP
(Neighbourhood Action Partnership). In these spaces we’ve managed to distribute over 50,000
condoms and 10,000 resources resulting in outreach to more than 20,000 persons.
At a recent presentation done in collaboration with Toronto Public Health we received the
following feedback: “We really appreciate the time you took to help us learn more about Black CAP
and the services that you provided in your presentation at our Education Day in June”. We are very
grateful to be working in these communities and look forward to a long partnership that serves
our community.
Amanda Lisa Parke, Andrew Persaud
Black CAP 2014/15 Annual Report 11Community Outreach Program Coordinators
Prevention Program
Black CAP’s Prevention Program continues to provide education on HIV and AIDS, STI risk, sexual
health and healthy relationships to members of the ACB community, service providers, schools
within the TDSB/TCDSB and various correctional/institutional health fairs. The program has
effectively collaborated with other providers to improve services for all ACB people infected and
affected by HIV. This work has been done through advocacy, delivery of roughly 50 workshops
and presentations for about 1,000 participants. We participated in a number of prison fairs that
each had roughly 100 participants with whom I connected. I also participated in networks and
committees such as the Ontario Agencies Serving Positive Youth (OASPY) and the African
Caribbean Council on HIV and AIDS in Ontario (ACCHO).
Mary Yehdego
Prevention Coordinator
Volunteer Program
The Volunteer Program is responsible for the recruitment, training, placement and recognition of
agency volunteers. The Program also provides support to program areas in the utilization and
support of volunteers within the agency, and during community events such as Pride, Afro-fest,
Caribana, Jambana, etc. During this fiscal year, more than 260 volunteers contributed 4,575 hours
of service to Black CAP, this equals the contribution of approximately 2.5 full time staff. Volunteers
were busy doing some of the following:
Board and Committee volunteers established strategic direction for the agency, developed
policies, monitored the finances, and ensured a level of accountability to the community,
members and clients.
36 volunteers provided essential administrative support to help with office duties and daily
reception coverage.
116 volunteers conducted outreach activities to raise awareness about the HIV/STIs in
bathhouses, clubs and other public spaces, supported clients by providing them with
practical support, and assisted with HIV education and prevention workshops. Because of
their generosity and dedication, Black, African and Caribbean communities, have become
more cognizant about the issues surrounding HIV and AIDS.
Volunteers prepared and distributed over 60,000 condom packs and harm reduction kits
during street outreach and community events like Pride, Caribana, Afro-fest, Snow-fest, etc.
Volunteers planned and executed fundraising initiatives like Joyful Giving and generated
more than $8,000.
Over the year we improved volunteer retention, and met their needs by providing them
with meaningful assignments, work experience, employment referrals and appropriate
recognition.
Anthony Nnaji
Volunteer Program Coordinator
Men’s Outreach Program
The MSM Outreach Program’s overall aim is to empower Black gay, bisexual, queer, questioning,
trans and other men who have sex with men (MSM). This is achieved through four main objectives
Black CAP 2014/15 Annual Report 12that include: increasing knowledge and awareness of HIV or AIDS and sexually transmitted infections in the African, Caribbean and Black (ACB) MSM community; promoting the importance of testing and knowing your HIV status; increasing access to culturally relevant information and resources that promote sexual health through bathhouse, club, street and online outreach, and workshops; and creating safer space through groups that raises awareness about HIV and AIDS related stigma and discrimination, homophobia, racism and other social challenges. The program delivers a number of groups which includes Socialite 411 (16-29 year old BMSM youths); Pepper Pot (over 29 year old BMSM) and MSM Poz (HIV Positive BMSM). These bi-weekly and monthly groups facilitate conversations, education and empowerment of BMSM in safe spaces. Over the year we delivered 34 workshops with a total of 513 participants. The MSM Outreach Program actively seeks and maintains partnerships with bathhouses, clubs and entertainment promoters. These partnerships made possible the distribution of over 8,000 condoms with over 10,000 brief and significant contacts with people during World Pride 2014. It also enabled us to distribute 16,000 condoms and information resources to 9,000 people at clubs, parties and bathhouses. By year end we completed 56 bathhouse shift and 30 party events. In addition, the program impacted over 7,500 Black MSM through social media such as Facebook, Adam4adam, whatsapp and through the Socialite 411 and Pepper Pot groups. In the words of one program participant, “I learn that I love being who I am … it’s [Socialite] an important outlet for LGBTQ persons to exchange ideas towards a common goal of tolerance.” Jeard Strachan, Antoney Baccas and Floyd French MSM Outreach Coordinator and Peer Educator Men’s Prevention Program Through its campaigns and interventions, Black CAP’s Men’s Prevention Program aims to provide Black men who have sex with men (Black MSM) in Toronto with effective and culturally appropriate messages about HIV prevention. The increase of risky behaviour was reported to be associated with treatment optimism and cART fatigue, as well as improved quality of life of HIV- infected MSM. Negotiated safety trends such as strategic positioning, serosorting, and withdrawal are increasingly reported, but these are not necessarily effective risk reduction strategies. These trends pose new challenges for the Men’s Prevention Program especially for HIV and STI prevention, requiring an evolution of interventions such as the Many Men, Many Voices (3MV) to remain effective. Moreover, barriers to services still exist in many places, including homophobia, stigma, policy barriers, insensitivity or lack of awareness among health care providers. Black MSM who engage in substance use further put themselves at risk, through sharing of needles or compromised judgement leading to risky sexual behaviour. These factors pose challenges for behavioural and psychosocial interventions and highlight the need for innovative solutions. Public health initiatives grounded in epidemiological trends that focus on behavioural prevention are considered central to efforts to reduce STI and HIV transmission. Testing is essential as prevention starts with knowing your status, new evidence shows the effectiveness of Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) in prevention of the transmission of HIV among MSM as part of a comprehensive package of prevention services including monthly HIV testing, condom provision, and management of other STIs. Although there are still many challenges and questions regarding the use of PrEP as a prevention tool, it is expected that behavioural interventions will include at minimum combinations of PrEP with combination behavioural strategies in the future. Our Men’s Prevention Program recognizes there is no single solution to Black CAP 2014/15 Annual Report 13
HIV and STI prevention, a comprehensive approach of combination prevention strategies will continue to be essential in the future. What seems clear is that the expertise of community as a whole is needed in order to develop effective HIV/STI interventions for BMSM, and research needs to be driven by planning imperatives. Overall our recommendations for future work include the importance of developing and evaluating behavioural HIV/STI prevention interventions for BMSM using controlled designs and relevant programme content, as well as dissemination of evaluations showing negative and positive results. Garfield Durrant Men’s Prevention Program Coordinator Support Program Black CAP’s Support Program takes pride in continuing to provide services to our most valued PHA clients. This program provides practical supports to our clients who need personal or financial assistance. Between March 2014 and April 2015 the support department has added over 75 new PHA members to the Black CAP family. Hence, we continue to provide support to our newly diagnosed members through support groups and one-on-one interactions as this epidemic continues to prevail in our Black communities. At the moment, we deliver two support groups for people living with HIV; Long Term Survivors (LTS) and Social Determinant of Health (SDH) both held once a month. The Long Term Survivors (LTS) is a group for individuals living with HIV for over ten years and has an average of 15 persons in monthly attendance. The Social Determinant of Health (SDH) is a group for individuals who are newly diagnosed and provides a supportive environment to discuss feelings about closure, health care, sex, dating and other relevant issues. The SDH group has an average monthly attendance of about 15 participants. We continue empowering our clients by asking them to take leadership roles in support groups. What is more significant is that some of our members sit on the Black CAP MEPA Committee; thereby allowing the voices of PHAs to be heard in decision making within our organization. To highlight the achievements of the Support Program here are quotes from two of our members who said it perfectly about the services they received: “I have received an overwhelming amount of assistance from the support department than I ever expected. I am so thankful to meet my case worker and the other case workers of the Black CAP team for all the good things they have done for me and others”; “Some of the topics at the support groups have undoubtedly given the members renewed hope and happiness, through the constant updates provided of the ever evolving epidemic. More so, it serves as a forum where members obtained strength to help alleviate the gloomy loneliness of coping with the stigma and the numerous challenges in our individual lives; brought on by our affliction and side effects of some of the medications”. Cindy Jolly Support Coordinator Women’s Support Program Black CAP Women’s Support Program provides comprehensive support services to African Caribbean and Black (ACB) HIV positive women to address their complex care and support needs through increased access to relevant supportive programming such as: case management, home and hospital visits, culturally and linguistically appropriate counseling, service access navigation and support groups. In this reporting period the Women’s Support Program conducted 50 comprehensive case management sessions, more than 200 drop-in services and over 550 one-on- one sessions. Over 350 referrals were made to different HIV care and support services such as: housing, immigration, medical care, food and financial assistance, as well as 43 hospital and home Black CAP 2014/15 Annual Report 14
visits. Most of our case management implementation focuses on connecting clients with different HIV care services and maintaining clients in the care. We also assisted newcomer HIV positive women to connect with HIV specialists and we work closely with Toronto General Hospital and St Michael’s Hospital to make this process faster. One of our clients shared that: “I came to Canada with one week of ART medication supply I was living in shelter and I had no idea what to do; I was so stressed. I told the shelter worker about my situation and the shelter worker referred me to Black CAP. Thanks to Black CAP staff, I was able to connect with HIV specialist at Toronto General Hospital and got my medication before my one week supply ended”. The program also delivers two women’s support groups, which include the Community Kitchen and the 50+ groups. The Community Kitchen is a monthly support group that takes place every third Thursday of the month and it is open to all ACB women living with HIV, including trans women. On average, 15 to 20 women attend this group each month. The group provides opportunities for ACB HIV positive women to learn, socialize and cook nutritious meals together. We cook our own meals together and we eat together! We also bring guest speakers to talk about topics such as the nutritional value of the food and health related issues such as: self care, emotional health, physical health, nutrition, physical exercise, financial management, etc. The 50+ group is for ACB HIV positive women age 50 and older. As we are facing increasing number of people aging with HIV, Black CAP started the 50+ group in April 2015, to help respond to complex needs of older HIV positive people. The group also includes guest speakers on aging related health issues such as: cancer, high blood pressure and cardio vascular diseases. In collaboration with the Toronto Public Health Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention program we have conducted four sessions on breast cancer prevention and screening, colon cancer prevention and screening, diabetes and physical exercise. Sem Teklemariam Women’s Support Coordinator Refugee Settlement Program The Refugee Settlement Program is in its third year now at Black CAP and the demand for services continues to grow. This Program falls under the Support Department and focuses on the specific settlement, immigration and health care needs of refugee claimants, failed claimants and those who are without immigration status. Over the year the program supported 289 new clients and provided 922 follow-up sessions. The needs of refugees are particularly complex and we support our clients in the areas of housing, employment, legal matters, medical care, social service connections, financial support, advocacy, sexual health, finding safe spaces, volunteering, faith- based support, assistance completing government applications, refugee hearing preparation and a variety of other areas as they arise. Black CAP is able to address the majority of these needs on site. Where necessary we continue to partner with other agencies to ensure our client’s needs are fully met. The Refugee Settlement Program is also actively involved in a number of networks and committees both locally and provincially. Having a seat at these tables has been a good networking opportunity for Black CAP as it ensures that the concerns of newcomer ACB communities living with, or affected by, HIV or AIDS, as well as people who identify as LGBTQ are represented at the decision making level. Adequate funding for this well needed and increasingly in demand program continues to be a concern as the staff and program resources are struggling to keep up with the high demand for services. Black CAP 2014/15 Annual Report 15
Craig Cromwell Refugee Settlement Program Coordinator Development Program Black CAP now has a development department! A development department raises money but in addition provides related services, including prospect research, database management, gift recording and processing, accounting, special-events planning and oversight, and donor relations. Most HIV or AIDS non profit organization raise a significant amount of their funds through fundraising. This has not been the case for Black CAP as we have relied mainly on funding by government agencies and grants from foundations. Black CAP saw this as an opportunity and hired its first development professional. The first task was to map out a strategy. We have created a one year strategy with modest goals that we are currently actively working towards. The next step was to create capacity so that the development department can run smoothly and efficiently. To this end we have acquired a donor database that will allow us to organize and communicate with our donors and potential donors much better than in the past. We have created marketing materials and revamped the donor portion of the website and we plan to add much more to the website. We will continue to expand and refine our strategies and capacity but we are ready to raise funds and the sky is the limit! Geoff McIntosh Development Officer Kazi Career Planning and Employment Program The Kazi: Career Planning and Employment Program is an integral part of Black CAP’s services to Black people living with HIV and AIDS and the Black LGBTQ community. Kazi means 'work' in Swahili, and it is reflective of our goal to help participants find work that has psychological, emotional and financial benefits. The program has assisted over 300 clients and provides intake, assessments and practical assistance. During these sessions the client’s barriers to employment are discussed; interventions are targeted at entering and retaining employment and cover pre- employment activities such as employment preparedness, résumé building, cover letter writing, interview skills, job search skills and career exploration. In discussing employment preparedness with the client, information is given in regards to interpersonal skills, educational options, Canadian work culture and accommodations in the work place, rights in the workplace, while assessing if the client is truly ready for work. Options are explored and individual goal plans are developed. Assistance is also given in preparing work and study permits, OSAP applications, and sourcing funding for education. Clients benefit by having relevant information to make better decisions about achieving their employment goals and have an action plan to follow. The Program also delivers the Journey to Employment 6-day workshop series. It is offered three times a year and has served over 135 participants during its 4 years. Participants learn in an interactive safe environment with their peers to gain information and in regards to, Canadian work culture, identifying skills interest and values, job search, networking and goal setting, OW and ODSP while working, education and applying for post secondary school, Ontario Human Rights, rights in the workplace, disabilities in the workplace/ accommodations at work. At the end of the workshop each participant should have a desired career direction, résumé, cover letter and have experienced taking part in a practice interview and a participant certificate. Newcomers will benefit by having information and resources to make informed decisions and will be better equipped in entering the labour market. The next Kazi workshop series will be held in October. Black CAP 2014/15 Annual Report 16
Jalila Muhammad
Employment Counsellor
The African and Caribbean Council on HIV/AIDS in Ontario (ACCHO) provides leadership in the
response to HIV and AIDS in Ontario’s African, Caribbean and Black (ACB) communities. ACCHO is
a provincial coalition of organizations and individuals committed to HIV prevention, education,
advocacy, policy, research, treatment, care and support for ACB communities. With our members,
we strive to reduce the incidence of HIV among ACB people in Ontario, and to improve the quality
of life for those living with and affected by HIV or AIDS through the implementation of the Ontario
HIV or AIDS Strategy for African, Caribbean and Black Communities, 2013-2018 (the ACB
Strategy).
In the 2014-2015 fiscal year, we continued to promote the ACB Strategy, which provides a
framework for the response to HIV or AIDS in ACB communities in Ontario in the areas of
prevention, education, policy, health promotion, care, support and research. We also continued to
work with the HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic Ontario (HACLO) to promote the special report, Our Voices:
HIV, Race and the Criminal Law, increasing understanding of the impact of the criminalization of
HIV non-disclosure on Ontario’s ACB communities. In total, we held two (2) workshops in Peel
and Durham regions to build the capacity of service providers who engage members of ACB
communities throughout Ontario. We also delivered six (6) presentations throughout the
province on topics ranging from the ACB Strategy to Our Voices.
ACCHO has been part of the research project “Promoting & Owning Empowerment & Resilience
among African, Caribbean & Black Youth in Windsor”, which concluded in spring 2015. A series of
factsheets on ‘Snapshot of Sexual Experiences of African, Caribbean, Black & Mixed Youth’, ‘HIV
Stigma & Knowledge’, ‘Risky Sex among African, Caribbean, Black & Mixed Youth’, ‘Condom Use’,
‘HIV Testing’ and ‘Police Contact’ are available in English and French on the ACCHO website.
Most importantly, ACCHO has begun work to create a new provincial campaign to address HIV-
related stigma within faith and spiritual communities. Through this campaign, we hope to achieve:
Increased awareness, knowledge and understanding of the effects of HIV-related stigma within
faith-based and spiritual communities.
Increased access to easy-to-understand scientific HIV-related information within faith-based
and spiritual communities.
Increased commitment of faith-based and spiritual communities to respond to HIV-related
issues, including HIV-related stigma.
Increased capacity of Strategy Workers and faith-based and spiritual communities to build and
maintain effective partnerships with each other.
We look forward to sharing much more about the campaign in next year’s annual report. All of
ACCHO’s achievements would not have been possible without the hard work and support of our
Black CAP 2014/15 Annual Report 17staff, Council members, committee members, partners, volunteers, and, most importantly, the
community. For that we thank you. Please visit our website (www.accho.ca) to access all of the
resources mentioned in this report and more.
Financial Summary
This summary includes a condensed version of our 2014/15 Audited Financial Statement for the
fiscal year ending March 31, 2015.
2015 2014
$ $
ASSETS
CURRENT
Grants receivable 45,996 37,925
Accounts receivable 41,806 39,172
Prepaid expenses 2,660 14,546
Government remittances receivable 44,178 59,748
134,640 151,391
EQUIPMENT 70,811 77,794
205,451 229,185
LIABILITIES
CURRENT
Bank indebtedness 28,675 73,584
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 26,095 19,066
Due to Ontario Ministry of Health and
Long-Term Care 169,697 172,253
Government remittances 13,501 12,643
Deferred contributions related
payable
to equipment 6,319 6,319
244,287 283,865
DEFERRED CONTRIBUTIONS 37,127 32,990
DEFERRED CONTRIBUTIONS
RELATED TO EQUIPMENT 13,280 19,699
294,694 336,554
NET ASSETS (DEFICIENCY)
Black CAP 2014/15 Annual Report 18UNRESTRICTED NET ASSETS (DEFICIENCY) (89,243) (107,369)
205,451 229,185
Black CAP ACCHO Total Total
2015 2015 2015 2014
$ $ $ $
REVENUES
Ontario Ministry of Health
and Long-Term Care 557,321 680,494 1,237,815 1,313,616
Ontario Ministry of Citizenship
and Immigration 52,474 - 52,474 57,723
Citizenship and Immigration Canada 106,805 - 106,805 104,327
City of Toronto 258,661 - 258,661 218,043
Recoveries and
other grants 86,928 21,591 108,519 143,912
Public Health Agency of Canada 84,918 - 84,918 84,915
MAC AIDS 64,066 - 64,066 85,020
Donations 21,867 - 21,867 17,660
1,233,040 702,085 1,935,125 2,025,216
EXPENSES
Human resources 933,678 379,005 1,312,683 1,229,052
Program and workshops 105,015 139,430 244,445 368,997
Office administration (117,601) 107,576 (10,025) 21,289
Professional fees 34,253 31,087 65,340 51,804
Rent 206,962 - 206,962 228,599
Communications campaign 18,129 - 18,129 25,775
Volunteer activities and development 6,016 - 6,016 5,644
Emergency funding to
people with HIV or AIDS 9,898 - 9,898 15,346
Resource development 11,864 42,786 54,650 20,600
Advertising and promotion 1,618 300 1,918 3,204
Amortization 6,983 - 6,983 63,939
1,216,815 700,184 1,916,999 2,034,249
Excess (deficiency) of revenues
over expenses for the year 16,225 1,901 18,126 (9,033)
Black CAP 2014/15 Annual Report 19Funders Our funders allow us to meet our mission and deliver programming. We would like to thank the following government, corporate, and foundation funders for their generous support: Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care – AIDS Bureau Citizenship and Immigration Canada Public Health Agency of Canada – AIDS Community Action Program City of Toronto – Toronto Urban Health Fund Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration – Newcomer Settlement Program MAC AIDS International Toronto Circle of Care Gay Men’s Sexual Health Alliance Canadian Institutes of Health Research Other funders and corporate donors: Adobe Consulting Services Be Hot Yoga Toronto Black Lives Matter: Toronto Coalition Blockorama Canadian Staff Union, Ontario Solidarity Fund Casey House Courtyard Marriott Dr. Kevin Russelo & Associates Espartel Investments Limited McDonalds Metropolitan Community Church Mortgage Alliance Oxford Properties PricewaterhouseCoopers Ramada Plaza Toronto RDI Construction Sheridan Students Union T J Reliable Service TD Bank Group The Face Shop The Little Elves Foundation United Way Ottawa University of Toronto Workers Action Centre York University Black CAP 2014/15 Annual Report 20
Donors Our donors allow us to increase support services for clients who are living with HIV or AIDS and provide direct financial support for the basics of life such as food, transportation, housing and medical care. We would like to thank the following donors for their generous support between April 1, 2014 and March 31, 2015: Aidas Vaidila Jessica Moniz Neil Armstrong Aina-Nia Ayo'dele Jill Andrew Nigel D'Cruz Alex Mason Joanne Gaskin Obim Okongwa Alfred John John Roeleveld Pastor Grace-Sandy Amanda Parke Joy Hermanstyne Paul McQuillan Andrew Campbell Junior Harrison Philip Wong Angela Robertson Karen Proctor Phyllis Waugh Anne Marie DiCenso Kaschka Watson Precious Maseko Barbara Wilker-Frey Keith Ronit Randy Williams Beth Jordan Ken Jemmott Ricardo Goldson Brian Huskins Kevin Lowe Richard Glaze Carlton James Kevin Ormsby Robin Silverman Carol Douglas Kevin Russelo Roland Beggs Cecile Peterkin Kevin Keilback Ron Rosenes Christia Hui Kevin Lowe Sarah Easterbrook Clementina Went Kimahli Powell Scott Thompson Clorine McNeish-Weir Komi Olaf Seema Opal Debbie Douglas Lance McCready Shani Robertson Dixon Graham Leah Teklemariam Shannon Ryan Dionne Falconer Lena Soje Stephanie Moothu Edna Smith-Bowes Leonard Edwards Suzanne Palermo Elizabeth Jordan Louise Clarke Sylvain Duhamel Elvis Tjijorokisa Marie Genereux Thomas Falujo Fanta Ongoiba Marlon Cunningham Trisha Hilton Gareth Henry Marsha Seow Trevor Gray Glen Moses Cameron Mary Galipeau Trisha Mitchell Hope Ramsay Mary Yehdego Valérie Pierre-Pierre Ido Edeh Michael Gibbs Vernon Russell Janice Figov Michael Went Wesley Watson Jefferson Darrel Michael Joseph William Sitzer Jerome Walcott Mona Loutfy Winston Brooks Black CAP 2014/15 Annual Report 21
The Year Ahead
As we enter our 27th year there is so much that Black CAP wants to accomplish and we look
forward to building on our successes. In the coming year we plan to accomplish the following:
As noted above, Black CAP will engage in a strategic planning process in early 2016. This
plan will guide the work of the agency over the next five years.
Most importantly we look forward to building on the role of the MEPA Committee;
especially as it relates to program planning and development and questions of PHA
representation at the agency’s governance level.
Our goals are to build on the successes of the Fundraising Committee and to reach other
long-term goals such as establishing a monthly giving program. We also have the goal to
sustain a full-time Fundraising Staff.
The Board will review the agency’s financial controls and procedures in the coming
months.
We will work with ACCHO to implement a faith-based outreach and prevention strategy to
address HIV stigma in faith-based spaces and to conduct prevention education.
We’ll work with APAA and the WeSpeak project to support the development of research
and programming for heterosexual men who are living with HIV and AIDS.
With a new major grant from the MAC AIDS Fund, Black CAP will launch a new program to
address the mental health and substance use needs of Black MSM. The program will launch
in early 2016.
In the coming months, the Governance Committee will work to support the Black CAP
Board in meeting its governance obligations. The governance Committee’s primary role is
to oversee and enhance board organization, procedures and performance.
Black CAP will continue our focus on assessing the quality of our programming and
identifying opportunities for improvement. In the coming months, we are planning to
conduct a structured review of our MSM Outreach Program to ensure its relevance and
increase its effectiveness in reaching MSM.
We hope to expand our focus on research in collaboration with academics. This will
include research in the area of vulnerability of newcomers to Canada and the vulnerability
of young women living with, or at risk for, HIV.
We will work to update our Human Resources (HR) policies, this includes the creation of a
new staff code of conduct, develop modified timesheets and implement new staff
recognition activities.
We would again like to thank our staff and volunteers for their amazing work over the past year.
As a team we’ve reached thousands of vulnerable and at-risk people and have changed the
conditions of their lives and provided much needed support. This will continue in the coming year
and we look forward to reporting the results of this work at our next Annual General Meeting.Black CAP 2014/15 Annual Report 23
You can also read
