Branch of Positively Living educates, tests, counsels at-risk individuals
Established in 1997 as a day center for people living with HIV/AIDS, Knoxville not-for-profit agency Positively Living since has expanded beyond its original scope to provide support to East Tennesseans beset with a variety of other afflictions, as well.
Operating from its headquarters at 1501 E. 5th Ave., the organization now provides care for people suffering from mental illness, addiction, homelessness and other debilitations in addition to HIV/AIDS.
Although adept at helping persons already experiencing difficulties associated with their respective conditions, Positively Living until now has taken a reactive approach with regard to treatment. A recent grant, however, has enabled the agency to launch Project ACT (an acronym for Awareness, Counseling and Testing), a new department devoted to raising awareness about HIV/AIDS and proactively assisting in prevention of the disease.
“Other agencies in Knoxville have done this before,” says program director Ernie Hoskins, speaking in reference to how organizations like the Helen Ross McNabb Center and the Knox County Health Department actively treat their patients. “But they haven’t focused on the most at-risk groups.”
In this respect, Hoskins says: “There’s never been anything like [Project ACT].”
According to AIDS.gov, there are more than 1.2 million people in the United States who are living with HIV/AIDS. Per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Tennessee ranked 15th out of 50 states in new diagnoses in 2011. The Tennessee Aids Advocacy Network (TAAN) lists the total number of reported cases in East Tennessee as having stood at more than 2,500 in 2012, with 40% of new diagnoses occurring in Knox County alone.
Nationally, gay and bisexual men are most at risk of infection, with the most susceptible age group comprising youths falling between the ages of 13 and 24. In Tennessee, according to TAAN, these same groups are the most affected, but the age range trends a bit older.
Given these numbers, along with reduced state funding for testing materials and subsequently, an increased reliance upon private donations (which can be made via projectactknox.com), the program employs a targeted testing process. Consequently, only those individuals most at risk of infection qualify for a free swab test. Results, though, are processed in just twenty minutes and are 99.89% accurate.
“It’s not really about having tested so many people as it is about testing the right people,” Hoskins elucidates.
In order to compensate for the lack of resources, the department is focusing the majority of its efforts on educating the public about HIV/AIDS. Fliers will be posted at bars and clubs. Free information packets containing business cards, literature and prophylactics also will be available at these establishments and at events like Knoxville Pridefest. Hoskins hopes that his contacts in the gay community will help spread the word about Project ACT and its mission.
“It’s all about meeting people where they’re at,” he says. “Just going out into the community and letting people know that we’re there and what we’re doing.”
Citing success by similar organizations in Nashville and Memphis, Hoskins intends on utilizing a social networking strategy, too, in order to increase public awareness. The aforementioned website will at some point be adopted into the redesigned Positively Living site (positively-living.org). The Facebook page (facebook.com/ProjectACTKNOX), regularly updated, has been up and running for a couple of weeks, and there is now a brand-new Twitter handle (@ProjectActKnox).
Having already been certified for two years to conduct HIV/AIDS testing, Hoskins is just one training session shy of being able to implement the counseling portion of the program. That course will cover CRCS (Comprehensive Risk Counseling and Services), which the CDC describes as “intensive, individual level, client-centered risk reduction intervention for people at high risk for HIV infection or transmission.” Hoskins says that this type of counseling will be available to both HIV-positive and negative participants.
The second kind of counseling that Project ACT will offer, CLEAR (Choosing Life: Empowerment! Action! Results!), will cater to individuals already living with the virus. It will meet once weekly for five weeks and is meant to be a forum for discussing issues and receiving emotional support. Upon completion of a comprehensive review, an additional series of mini-sessions will be available to graduates, as well.
Years ago Hoskins could not have foreseen the meandering journey that would become his career path. Having achieved a degree in interior design from Pellissippi State, he entered the workforce intent on making that his profession. But once there, he says: “I decided I really hated it.” He then translated his skills into being an effective event planner, coordinating fundraisers for influential organizations – including a couple for Positively Living – and making solid connections along the way.
After having returned to school to complete more coursework, Hoskins was offered a job at Positively Living. On accepting the position and immersing himself in the charity work, he says: “It was very fulfilling for me just to be able to see that you can make a difference in people’s lives.”
Though he may receive assistance from time to time from his colleagues at Positively Living, Project ACT is the sole responsibility of Hoskins, who readily admits that while this new job presents a difficult challenge, it is one that he is more than willing to assume.
“It’s a huge task, but I’m honored to be doing it,” he says. “And [happy] that we have the funding. I’m excited … but it’s daunting,” he adds.
Moving forward, he feels motivated by the enthusiastic response from the community. When prompted what the reaction has been, Hoskins says: “So far, so good. I am just looking forward to trying to make a change in some small way, getting people tested who need to be tested and searching for those people who … may not necessarily want to be tested.
“Hopefully people will know that we’re just the place to come where they can get tested and feel safe and OK about it,” he concludes.
