ADAP Watch

As of September 13, 2012 there are:

• 6,391 individuals enrolled in HIV/AIDS drug assistance programs (ADAP & SPAP)
  • 5,388 are enrolled in ADAP
  • 1,003 are enrolled in SPAP
• 0 individuals on the waiting list

As of September 6, 2012 there were:

• 6,318 individuals enrolled in HIV/AIDS drug assistance programs (ADAP & SPAP)
  • 5,318 are enrolled in ADAP
  • 1,000 are enrolled in SPAP
• 30 individuals on the waiting list

According to NASTAD’s most recent ADAP Watch, released today, there are 6 states with waiting lists, totaling 88 people.  That report shows NC as having 0 clients on the waiting list, which was our official count at COB on September 13.  NASTAD’s ADAP Watch can be found at http://www.nastad.org/default.aspx.

Turning the Tide at the DNC

A report from the field by Lisa Hazirjian, NCAAN's Executive Director

“What are the things we need to do to make things better for people living with HIV?” 

Jeff Crowley asks me about NCAAN’s new media 
advocacy strategy. 

That question –posed by Jeffrey Crowley, former director of the Office of National AIDS Policy – framed the dialogue at this week’s Turning the Tide of HIV/AIDS in the U.S. breakfast meeting in Charlotte during the Democratic National Convention.

Rep. Maxine Waters, who spearheaded the creation of the Minority AIDS Initiative, and Rep. Barbara Lee, co-chair of the Congressional HIV/AIDS Caucus, noted key accomplishments of the Obama administration on HIV policy, including:

• lifting the HIV travel ban, which prevented people living with HIV from entering the US
• improving access to prevention and care under the provisions of the Affordable Care Act
• developing the first-ever National HIV/AIDS Strategy

Crowley’s keynote highlighted some of the ways the Affordable Care Act supports the fight to end AIDS, from expanding insurance coverage to establishing women’s right to free annual screenings for HIV as a routine part of preventative care. 

Looking to the future, Crowley noted that Medicaid expansion holds tremendous promise for improving access and quality of care for lower income people living with HIV, including many of those currently served by AIDS Drug Assistance Program – nationwide, 34 percent of ADAP clients will become newly eligible for Medicaid and another 21.6 percent will become eligible for insurance subsidies in 2014 under the Affordable Care Act.

I spoke on a panel with Deborah Warren of the Regional AIDS Interfaith Network (RAIN) and Charles Stephens of AIDS United. We highlighted opportunities for members of the HIV/AIDS advocacy community to use their collective power to push for Medicaid expansion in North Carolina. 

I also took the occasion to announce our upcoming series of free media advocacy trainings to prepare advocates to write effective letters to the editor that get noticed by decision makers.  Plans are already in the works for fall trainings in Asheville, Charlotte, and Durham – for more information about these events or to request media advocacy training for people in your area, contact Claire Hermann at claire@ncaan.org or (919) 533-9677. 

ADAP Watch

As of September 6, 2012 there are:

• 6,318 individuals enrolled in HIV/AIDS drug assistance programs (ADAP & SPAP)
  • 5,318 are enrolled in ADAP
  • 1,000 are enrolled in SPAP
• 30 individuals on the waiting list

As of August 30, 2012 there were:

• 6,285 individuals enrolled in HIV/AIDS drug assistance programs (ADAP & SPAP)
  • 5,285 are enrolled in ADAP
  • 1,000 are enrolled in SPAP
• 25 individuals on the waiting list

According to NASTAD’s most recent ADAP Watch, released on August 30, there are 6 states with waiting lists, totaling 170 people.  That report shows NC as having 25 clients on the waiting list, which was our official count at COB on August 30.  At that time, NC made up approximately 15% of the national ADAP waiting list.  NASTAD’s ADAP Watch can be found at http://www.nastad.org/default.aspx.

ADAP Watch

As of August 30, 2012 there are:

• 6,285 individuals enrolled in HIV/AIDS drug assistance programs (ADAP & SPAP)
  • 5,285 are enrolled in ADAP
  • 1,000 are enrolled in SPAP
• 25 individuals on the waiting list

As of August 23, 2012 there were:

• 6,246 individuals enrolled in HIV/AIDS drug assistance programs (ADAP & SPAP)
  • 5,261 are enrolled in ADAP
  • 985 are enrolled in SPAP
• 17 individuals on the waiting list

According to NASTAD’s most recent ADAP Watch, released on August 17, there are 7 states with waiting lists, totaling 694 people.  That report shows NC as having 9 clients on the waiting list, which was our official count at COB on August 17.  At that time, NC made up approximately 1.5% of the national ADAP waiting list.  NASTAD’s ADAP Watch can be found at http://www.nastad.org/default.aspx.

NCAAN People: Brandon Cordrey, Volunteer Team Member

This is the first in a new series of blog posts about the people who make NCAAN's work possible.

Why did you start volunteering with NCAAN?

Brandon is one of the volunteers
who has helped NCAAN engage
more than 10,000 people in our
Action Team.

I am in the application process for the Peace Corps. About seven years ago, when I was in Governor’s School, I saw the movie Hotel Rwanda, about the genocide there. My friends and I wondered how anyone goes on from something like that. And the next night, almost as if it was planned, they had a man from the Peace Corps come speak. I remember thinking, “Well, that’s what you do. That’s how you go on. You try and make a difference.”

I wanted more experience with the issues of sexual health and HIV/AIDS, which are important areas for the Peace Corps. I started looking up organizations in Raleigh that worked on AIDS issues, seeing if I could volunteer. 

NCAAN made it super-easy, and the people here are friendly. I get a chance to educate people about the impact of HIV/AIDS in North Carolina. I feel like we are making a difference.

What has it been like? 
I volunteer from one to ten hours a week. I do a lot of data entry, and I make a lot of phone calls. I went on one canvassing trip and to a couple of special events, like the Dogwood Festival in Fayetteville. 

Tonight I’m doing phone calls. Saturday I’m doing a canvass, talking to people in their neighborhoods, getting their support for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program and asking them to volunteer.

Is there any one experience that sticks out in your memory?
There is one. At a street festival, I was talking to a woman about the AIDS Drug Assistance Program, and she shared that her husband died of AIDS. She became an educator, telling people that it’s not only a gay disease and that there are people with HIV who can live healthy lives. That was a very powerful experience. At NCAAN, we all have a common vision, and we work towards it together. But she was doing that on her own.

What do you do when you’re not volunteering for NCAAN?
I’m an artist, so I have a studio, and I spend time there, and I spend time with my dog and my boyfriend whenever I can. I work fulltime managing the Lee Hansley Gallery, and I volunteer at the North Carolina Museum of Art, doing education programs there. I love teaching art, especially to kids. They feel awkward at first, and they doubt themselves. But then they get more comfortable, and the walls come down. 

If there is a common bond between my art and what I do at NCAAN, that’s it:  they’re both about people and relationships.

What would you tell someone thinking about volunteering?

It’s really easy. And it’s really rewarding. Often when I call people to see if they’ll volunteer, there’s a little something that’s holding them back. They aren’t sure that they have going on next Thursday. They aren’t sure if something better is going to come up. 

I tell them, “It’s easy. It’s fun while you’re here. And when you leave, you’ll feel good about yourself.”

Want to join Brandon on the volunteer team. Tell us!

Ubuntu in Action

A big “thank you” to United Methodist Women and the 12 members who joined us to canvass a Durham neighborhood last week! The group was in town for a young women's leadership conference, and they joined NCAAN to celebrate their Ubuntu Day of Service. “Ubuntu,” the group explained, is an African concept that can be summed up as “I am human because you are human,” and it is a foundation for community action and service.

The 12 women joined our organizer, Shawn, for some training on the basics of community organizing, and information on resources for designing their own organizing projects. After practicing reading scripts, the group knocked on more than 100 doors, raising funds and recruiting new members for NCAAN’s Action Team. The 10,000-strong Action Team is the foundation of our work to shape state policies and communities that support the rights of people living with HIV and AIDS, their loved ones, and those at risk for acquiring HIV in North Carolina.

If you have a group of 12 or more people and would like to organize a one-day service project, contact Shawn at shawn@ncaan.org or (919) 817-8960.

The team with their canvassing essentials – clipboards, pens, postcards, walking shoes, and a story to tell. 

ADAP Watch

As of August 16, 2012 there are:

• 6,198 individuals enrolled in HIV/AIDS drug assistance programs (ADAP & SPAP)
  • 5,218 are enrolled in ADAP
  • 980 are enrolled in SPAP
• 9 individuals on the waiting list

As of August 9, 2012 there were:

• 6,155 individuals enrolled in HIV/AIDS drug assistance programs (ADAP & SPAP)
  • 5,176 are enrolled in ADAP
  • 979 are enrolled in SPAP
• 3 individuals on the waiting list

According to NASTAD’s most recent ADAP Watch, released on August 9, there are 7 states with waiting lists, totaling 1,125 people.  That report shows NC as having 3 clients on the waiting list, which was our official count at COB on August 9.  At that time, NC made up less than 1% of the national ADAP waiting list.  NASTAD’s ADAP Watch can be found at http://www.nastad.org/default.

aspx.