USCA (US Conference on AIDS)
For more information, visit the conference website: http://www.nmac.org/index/2010-united-states-conference-on-aids
If you're heading to USCA, here are a few workshops you won't want to miss:
- Supervising HIV-Positive Peers in a Health Care Setting
- Beyond Meds and Labs: A Practical Guide to Nutrition, Health and Wellness
- Tools for Successful Peer Education
Supervising HIV-Positive Peers in a Health Care Setting
Tuesday, September 14, 9:30 am - 11:30 a.m. (Session 3)
The PEER Center and Peer Education Training Sites will present this interactive workshop. It will demonstrate the need for a strong supervisory system as well as address some of the challenges supervisors face in managing peers. In this interactive session, panelists will share their experience being peer worker supervisors and demonstrate how to build peer skills through a supportive supervisory mechanism of empathy that allows peer workers to share their experiences and work toward securing client retention in the healthcare system. Peer worker supervisors will reflect on the successes and challenges encountered in supervising peer workers and their strategies for supporting peer worker development. The panel will share their own experiences, provide case and role-play examples and address audience concerns in developing their own supervisory system.
Beyond Meds and Labs: A Practical Guide to Nutrition, Health and Wellness
Monday, September 13, 4:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Valerie Wojciechowicz has been selected as a presenter at the 2010 United States Conference on AIDS in Orlando. Valerie is a long-time consumer advocate within her community and the state of Florida as a Statewide Consumer Advisory Group Member and an educator for the Manatee County Health Department. She participated in PEER Center/PETS-sponsored capacity-building and training-of-trainers workshops in February and has secured some seed money to start a peer program at Community AIDS Network (CAN), an AIDS service organization in Sarasota. Valerie held her first peer training in May, assisted by Shalini Eddens of the Lotus Project.
Valerie is renowned for her national participation on workgroups to advance knowledge and training for women. She promotes HIV care through a holistic approach of good health through exercise, eating right and being in tune with your body. Her passion as an aerobics instructor makes her presentations exciting and filled with music and HIV information that sticks with you. Don't miss her workshop at USCA.
View workshop abstract
Tools for Successful Peer Education
Wednesday, September 15 9:30-11:30 a.m.
The Lotus Project will present the following workshop:
The nature of peer work can be challenging. It can be difficult to maintain some of the more technical aspects of the job, such as documentation or time management. Many peer educators have not received formal training or had a job that requires certain skill sets needed to be a peer educator. This workshop will discuss the importance of several skills to be a more effective and efficient peer educators. Topics will include: documentation, time management, communication, and self-care.
