Description
ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW
Organization History
The Coastal Bend AIDS Foundation (CBAF) is a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization. CBAF was established on April 30, 1986 by community volunteers to provide support for friends and families who were infected or impacted by HIV and AIDS. The volunteers used the buddy system to meet the needs of persons living with AIDS through nurturance and social support partnering persons living with AIDS with other individuals who were not. CBAF became incorporated on February 1, 1988 and began implementing and delivering community services through a variety of specialized service interventions, which included; case management services for clients, community education programs, HIV/AIDS support groups for infected persons and families, as well as volunteer training to equip the community to meet the diverse needs for those impacted by HIV and AIDS. CBAF transitioned from a volunteer run community service organization to Community-Based Service Organization that is supported and funded through local, state, and federal funding. Its primary purpose and mission remain consistent since inception: "To improve the quality of life for individuals affected and infected by HIV/AIDS." CBAF maintains a volunteer run Board of Directors, which provides program oversight and organizational direction.
Vision Statement
To enhance social services in the Coastal Bend area through outreach, education, prevention and intervention; actively encourage and support mobilization through group and individual advocacy; and leverage resources to support service delivery systems to address community needs. Our primary goal is to empower individuals and families to take control of their lives through improved decision-making skills and overall wellness and health promotion initiatives. CBAF will achieve individual and community empowerment through evidence-based strategies to provide prevention, intervention, testing, and referrals for client services and access into care for medical, substance abuse, and mental health services.
Community Services / Programs
Project Turnaround
Project Turnaround is an adolescent prevention program aimed at reducing substance abuse, HIV/AIDS and STD high-risk behaviors through delivery of evidence based curriculum, Botvin's Life Skills (BLS) and Too Good For Drugs and Violence (TGFD). Project Turnaround delivers programs in fourteen different schools in Nueces and surrounding counties to grades 5th through 12th (ages 10-18), and community one-shot information presentations by request. The BLS and TGFD curriculum is a six to eight week program that promotes active youth and family participation to enhance protective factors and increase resiliency of vulnerable youth populations. Additional alternative activities are delivered to create a fun and enjoyable learning environment and to attract and maintain participation. Project Turnaround is funded by the Texas Commission on Alcoholism & Drug Abuse.
Client Services (HIV/AIDS Services)
Case Management services provide clients with necessary support services and financial assistance. Case Managers serve as "brokers" of services linking clients to community resources and assisting them navigate social services systems and to increase access and utilization of resources. Financial Assistance is made available to eligible clients to subsidize income through rental assistance, emergency payments for utilities, medication/prescriptions, medical co-payments, counseling and mental health, health insurance, dental services, and transportation assistance. The primary goal of case management is to assist clients improve and maintain individual health through medication adherence and management, development and maintenance of social support systems, and prevent transmission and/or re-infection of HIV. Funding is provided through Ryan White-Title II, Title IV, State Services, and Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA).
HIV Early Intervention (HEI)
Funded through the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse (TCADA) the HEI Program is designed to provide individual HIV Early Intervention. HEI provides intensive case management services for individuals that are HIV positive or who have AIDS, along with substance abuse/dependency treatment needs. The program is designed to coordinate community continuity of care for clients with high level needs assisting clients to navigate social services systems and to increase access and utilization of resources. The primary goal of HEI is to move clients through the stages of change necessary to achieve and maintain drug free lifestyles / long-term recovery and improve client individual health as related to HIIV/AIDS through medication adherence and the provision of routine medical and other support services.
Project CARE
Project CARE is a community engagement service that has three distinct functions and service activities. 1) HIV/AIDS testing and pre-post counseling. Staff are trained phlebotomist and certified to conduct pre-test and follow-up/post-test counseling with at risk persons. Additionally, staff provides risk reduction and re-infection presentations to the community. All testing and counseling services are conducted confidentially. 2) Prevention Case Management (PCM) provides intervention and counseling services for persons at risk for HIV infection through drug and alcohol use, specifically Intravenous Drug Use (IDU). PCM delivers intervention programs and services in treatment facilities and through direct community contacts, both in the community and one-on-one. Individual sessions are conducted to identify risk related behaviors and for the development of risk reduction plans. Persons needing services are referred for testing, case management or to other community based services providers. 3) Community Education Evidence Based Interventions (EBI), developed through the Center for Disease Control (CDC), are delivered to the indicated at risk populations through individual and group (6) 1-hour sessions. Participants complete pre-post & 6-month follow up surveys to demonstrate curriculum effectiveness. The primary focus is behavioral risk reduction and prevention of HIV/AIDS transmission.
Center for Substance Abuse (CSAP) HIV Outreach (Project BESOS)
CBAF was awarded a Service delivery HIV Outreach grant to provide Counseling, Testing and Community Education for Substance Abuse and HIV/AIDS Prevention services. Services are delivered within a four county catchment area; Jim Wells, Kleberg, Nueces, and San Patricio. The primary goal for Project BESOS is to fill service delivery gaps in underserved geographic areas adversely impacted and affected by HIV/AIDS. The program implements a customized program designed to meet the special needs in the minority population in the Coastal Bend region. The initiative objectives will 1) enhance community/street outreach efforts, 2) expand HIV testing to the Intravenous Drug Use (IDU) minority population, 3) deliver evidence-based/effective substance abuse & HIV prevention curriculum, 4) support continuity of care for the IDU, HIV positive clients, and 5) increase access and utilization of substance abuse treatment services. A secondary goal for funding is the development of a program that may be submitted to the National Registry of Effective Programs (NREP) as a model program for replication and dissemination.
Food Bank
The Food Bank provides a limited amount of groceries to supplement nutritional intake needs of persons living with HIV/AIDS. An individual client is able to access the food bank twice per month and receives two units (approx. 2 grocery bags) of service each time. Two (2) units of service include the following basic items: produce potatoes, tomatoes, & onions, 2-frozen meat items, 5-can goods, 1-box of cereal and crackers, and 1-bag of rice, instant potatoes, and dry beans; other snack items, groceries and common toiletries are supplied when available to clients.
The Food Bank is 100% run by volunteers (no paid positions) and coordinated through the case management department. Clients are able to access the Food Bank on Tuesdays and Thursdays weekly from 8:30-noon. Funding for the Food Bank is minimally supported through small grant funding, donations and community contribution.
