Monthly Archives: April 2011
Perspectives from Missouri
Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to spend time in Missouri speaking with audiences about the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) and learning about what they are doing to support implementation of the Strategy locally. As in other communities across the country, the folks I spoke to in Kansas City and Jefferson City are eager…
Mobile Health 2011
Co-authored by Tanna Drapkin, Managing Editor, Mobile Health 2011 On May 4 and 5, over 400 people will gather at Stanford University to hear 45 experts share what really works in creating solutions to improve health behavior using mobile technology. Hosted by Stanford University and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mobile Health…
SAMHSA, Behavioral Health and the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (Part II)
As the HIV/AIDS policy lead at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), I am pleased to return to the blog to discuss more of the activities that SAMHSA is engaged in to support the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS). In my last post, I discussed SAMHSA’s commitment to addressing the behavioral health problems…
Highlights from the National Transgender Health Summit
Co-authored by Mindy Nichamin, New Media Coordinator, AIDS.gov What do empowerment, discrimination, data, and health have in common? They are several of the many themes we heard throughout the National Transgender Health Summit that took place in San Francisco earlier this month. The Center of Excellence for Transgender Health (CoE) organized this groundbreaking two-day Summit that brought…
A Bridge for ADAPs to 2014: A National Conversation
On April 7, 2011, on behalf of the Office of HIV/AIDS Policy, I attended “A Bridge for ADAPs to 2014: A National Conversation,” an event hosted by Dr. E. Blaine Parrish, Associate Dean of the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services in Washington, DC. The purpose of this meeting was to bring together a…
Illinois Commences Development of Statewide HIV/AIDS Plan
In a recent article , my colleague at AIDS Foundation Chicago , Keith R. Green, profiled efforts underway in Illinois to develop a statewide operational plan aligned with the National HIV/AIDS Strategy. Keith frankly observes that “coordinated efforts at the national level will only produce small results without similar coordination within local jurisdictions.” I thought…
Justice Department Issues Letter Regarding Illegal Exclusion of Individuals with HIV/AIDS from Occupational Training and State Licensing
The Justice Department has issued letters to the attorneys general of all 50 states, as well as U.S. territories to request their assistance in addressing the illegal exclusion of individuals with HIV/AIDS from occupational training and state licensing. Persons with HIV and persons with AIDS are covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which…
April is STD Awareness Month. Did you GYT?
April is STD Awareness Month. Every year there are over 19 million new cases of STDs in the United States (CDC). Half of these new STD infections occur among young people ages 15 to 24 even though this age group makes up only 25% of the sexually active population. There are many negative outcomes of…
Encouraging the Development of Statewide HIV/AIDS Plans
On Tuesday, April 12, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) convened a consultation to explore the principles and practices that should be considered as we move forward in our efforts to encourage the development of state HIV/AIDS plans as recommended in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS). The Strategy’s Federal Implementation Plan directs HHS…
Federal Leads Continue Collaborative Efforts
On Monday, April 4, 2011, representatives from the six Federal agencies designated by the President as lead agencies with responsibility for implementing the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) met to continue our collaborative efforts to implement the Strategy. The primary focus of the meeting was the continued exploration of the impact of homelessness and housing insecurity…
