The Haitian Centers Council’s mission is to improve the quality of life for those we serve, especially Haitian Americans, in the metro New York City area by providing access to services, information and education as well as resources toward the goal of self-sufficiency. In that spirit, the organization is part of the Community Development Initiative (CDI) funded by NY State’s Dept. of Health AIDS Institute. The CDI raises HIV/AIDS awareness and supports communities of color in addressing HIV-related issues affecting their communities.
Through the CDI initiative, service providers have:
· established leadership networks to mobilize a community-based response to the HIV epidemic;
· identified community needs and developed strategies in response to issues identified;
· developed and implemented interventions designed to increase awareness, built community support for
safe behaviors and provided priority communities with general information about HIV/AIDS programs
and services; and
· developed and implemented interventions aimed at reducing risk behaviors by impacting community norms, attitudes and practices.
We participate in this important and exciting initiative through its AIDS Leadership Coalition (ALC) which is comprised of community leaders who represent priority populations and/or a geographic area. Our ALC helps identify HIV emerging needs of the priority populations and strategies that will raise awareness and address the identified needs. We also work collaboratively with other HIV and non-HIV service providers to successfully implement these strategies.
Our ALC as well as other service provider ALCs closely monitors policy at the national, state and local levels. Policy monitoring focuses on laws and regulations that impact people who are HIV infected or those at risk. We also provide recommendations to policymakers and act as a source of information for their communities. HCC’s ALC is actively involved in activities at the state and national levels to address the devastating impact of the HIV epidemic on communities of color.
For more information about the Haitian Centers Council’s ALC, please click ‘AIDS Leadership Coalition’ in the navigation bar on the left. We hope it is informative and perhaps you would like to join us and help make a difference! Please feel free to contact by e-mail Dr. Pierre-Louis at MCPierre-Louis@hccinc.org or call 718.940.5271.