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Community Impact

Zero is Possible

Zero is Possible: Indiana’s Plan to End HIV and Hepatitis C (ZIP-IN Plan) presents an approach to collectively addressing HIV and HCV, due to the aligned objectives and strategies related to shared high-risk populations; barriers to testing and treatment; role of healthcare providers and community support networks; and opportunities to develop a comprehensive, whole-person approach to patient care, counseling, and treatment. The content of the ZIP-IN Plan was developed in consultation with a wide array of stakeholders, including healthcare providers, community partners, and people with lived experience (PWLE), who participated in listening sessions, focus groups, surveys, and technical workgroups over a research and planning period spanning more than a year

To learn more about the ZIP Indiana Plan, along with ZIP Coalitions resources, please visit https://www.zipindiana.org/

zero is possible

Ending the HIV Epidemic – Marion County

4 Pillars and Goals of the Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) Plan

  • Prevent new HIV infections
  • Diagnose new HIC infections as early as possible
  • Treat new infections rapidly to reach viral suppression
  • Respond to emergent health needs of priority populations
  • Marion County’s Ending the HIV Epidemic Task Force

    The task force is comprised of people with lived experience, supportive service providers, clinical specialists, primary care providers, educators, advocates, managers and admin., traditional HIV service providers and non-traditional HIV partners.

    Committees:

    • Data: analyze information and reveal trends to better service the community
    • Community Mobilization: grow the task force’s public involvement
    • Communication: increase the task force’s message to end HIV
    • Membership Success: ensure organizations are involved at all levels

    The task force brings together organizations supported by different EHE funding streams (CDC. HRSA, etc.) to guarantee there is minimal overlapping of services and maximize the impact of services.

  • Strengthening the HIV-HCV Syndemic Response

    Similar to an epidemic, a syndemic is when two or more epidemics have concurrent causes. One may influence the other, so it is important to implement best practices to maximize efforts. The EHE Plan and Indiana’s Zero is Possible Plan work jointly to:

    • Promote a community-wide commitment to ending the HIV epidemic and eliminating HCV
    • Collaborate with partners to share information, resources, tools and strategies
    • Prioritize regional workplans, assess existing programs and provide recommendations to address gaps in services and funding allocations
    • Center the voices of people with lived experience
    • Enlist diverse partners and promote access to and effective use of mainstream programming
  • Community Engagement

    Through continuous feedback from the community and people with lived experience, organizations listen, demonstrate the community’s need for programming surrounding HIV services and promote projects that address services different communities and neighborhoods require to address HIV incident rates.

  • Status-Neutral Approaches

    Status-neutral is a method of preventing, diagnosing and treating HIV/HCV/STIs where all people regardless of HIV-status are included in the model.

    • People who test non-reactive are provided tools to remain non-reactive (PrEP, condoms, harm-reduction services, etc.).
    • People who test reactive are connected to quality healthcare quickly (linkage-to-care, rapid stART).
    • People who have been previously diagnosed HIV-positive are given supportive services to achieve and remain virally suppressed (connect-to-care).
  • Current EHE-Funded Projects Within the Status-Neutral Model

    Prevention

    • The Damien Center’s syringe service program
    • MCPHD – SUOS educating the faith-based community about HIV
    • Latino Coalition educated domestic/sexual violence survivors of HIV/HCV/STI risks

    Diagnose

    • Gennesaret is HIV/HCV testing in Black-owned businesses
    • Step-Up's community outreach and testing days

    Treat

    • Shalom’s Linkage-to-care program
    • IU Health – LifeCare re-engaging clients with life coach sessions
    • BU Wellness Network’s free fresh food pantry & nutritional programming
    • Eskenazi Hospital connects ER-diagnosed people to rapid medication/intake

    Respond

    • The Health Foundation connects AmeriCorps members to EHE organizations

    To learn more about Ending the HIV Epidemic – Marion County, please visit https://thfgi.org/marion-county-ending-the-hiv-epidemic/

Anti-Stigma Committee

Mission: To address the role stigma plays in achieving health equities and understanding the social barriers of those most impacted by HIV, Viral Hepatitis and STIs in Indiana.
Vision: We envision the state of Indiana being a place with modernized and standardized policies and legislation, where people with lived experience have access to systems of care that promote and provide dignity, equity and representation.

  • What is HIV stigma?

    HIV stigma is negative attitudes and beliefs about people with HIV. It is the prejudice that comes with labeling an individual as part of a group that is believed to be socially unacceptable.

    Here are a few examples:

    • Believing that only certain groups of people can get HIV
    • Making moral judgements about people who take steps to prevent HIV transmission
    • Feeling that people deserve to get HIV because of their choices
  • What is discrimination?

    While stigma refers to an attitude of belief, discrimination is the behaviors that result from those attitudes or beliefs. HIV discrimination is the act of treating people with HIV differently that those without HIV.

    Here are a few examples:

    • A health care professional refusing to provide care or services to a person living with HIV.
    • Socially isolating a member of a community because they are HIV positive.
  • What causes HIV stigma?

    HIV stigma is rooted in a fear of HIV. Many ideas about HIV come from the HIV images that first appeared in the early 1980s. There are still misconceptions about how HIV is transmitted and what it means to live with HIV today. The lack of information and awareness combined with outdated beliefs lead people to fear getting HIV. Additionally, many people think of HIV as a disease that only certain groups get. This leads to negative value judgements about people who are living with HIV.

  • A guide to talking about HIV

    The words we use matter. When talking about HIV, certain words and language may have a negative meaning for people at high risk for HIV or those who are living with HIV. Consider using preferred terms to avoid promoting stigma and misinformation around HIV.

  • What can I do?

    Get the Facts

    • Learn HIV basics and what it means to live with HIV. Having the facts can help reduce misunderstandings and decrease stigma associated with HIV.

    Learn how to talk about HIV

    • Talking openly about HIV can help normalize the subject but be mindful of how you talk about HIV and people with HIV. Our stigma language guide can help.

    Begin to take action

    • We can help end HIV stigma through our words and actions in our everyday lives. Check out our stigma scenarios for tips on what you can do when you witness stigma.

Training Resources

The HIV Prevention Program of the Division of HIV/STI and Viral Hepatitis strives to support directly state-funded outreach testing sites or other state-recognized agencies and organizations by providing up-to-date training and educational opportunities through the Training Programs it offers. Indiana does not require certification to be an HIV tester; however, those agencies granted prevention funds through the state do need to have their testers complete Outreach Testing Training and HIV101 training.

  • Current Opportunities
    • Outreach Testing Training: reviews the procedures for using testing technology for the third and fourth generations of rapid HIV tests for use in non-clinical settings.

    The training can be adjusted to meet the required elements for testers from those just hired to those needing a review of procedures and updates on new tests being employed to detect the HIV Virus at its earliest stages.

    The training course is knowledge and skills-based, covering HIV basics, transmission, risk reduction, CDC testing protocol, results delivery, linking to care and Indiana's required reporting process.

    The Education and Training Coordinator will work with program managers to determine what elements of the training are required for participants.

  • Training Objectives
    • Being proficient in discussing the transmission of HIV
    • The stages of HIV as it develops
    • The window periods for detecting HIV antibodies or antibodies and antigens in an individual’s blood
    • Being able to discuss how the HIV virus grows in the body
    • Having the ability to identify risk factors for HIV in different demographics and discuss risk reduction
    • Following the recommended test protocol for the session and having the skills to do the test
    • Delivering the results of tests for non-reactive, reactive and invalid tests
    • Knowing when and to whom a recommendation for PrEP should be made
    • The correct submission of all required reports
    • Having the knowledge and skills to discuss the policies that apply to Universal Precautions
  • Prerequisites

    The assurance from an agency manager that their staff member is able to perform tasks that would allow them to participate in a shorter training due to being medically trained ( RN, NPAs)

    A 90 percent score or higher on an HIV Proficiency pre-training Quiz given on the day of the training.

  • Completing the Course

    In order for participants to receive an Evaluation Web Account, used to submit testing results to the state, a tester must complete five supervisor-observed testing sessions, which will be returned to the trainer within 5 weeks of training completion.

    When the tester has their Evaluation Web account created they will receive a certificate of course completion for their and the employing agencies’ records.

  • Contact

    For more information or training needs contact:

    Jarred Corwin
    Training and Education Coordinator
    jcorwin@health.in.gov
    (317) 234-8262

    For people/agencies interested in HIV/STI/Viral Hepatitis training opportunities, please utilize the form below:

    Prevention Services Program Application