Asian Outreach Project Opens at AIDS Vancouver
March 25, 2011 - (Vancouver) - Due to the Asian Society for the Intervention of AIDS (A.S.I.A.) closing on March 31, 2011, AIDS Vancouver will be housing their former IDU Outreach program, primarily serving Asian injection drug users (IDUs) in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside and Chinatown.
This street level outreach program will provide clients with support to access social and healthcare services, HIV/AIDS information, referral, education and interventions. During the transition phase of this program there is one outreach worker who will provide information and referrals regarding immigration, legal and housing services. The Outreach Worker also leads a weekly support group.
AIDS Vancouver strongly believes in the need to provide services in an outreach capacity to higher risk people within the Asian communities here in the Lower Mainland. The primary focus of this program is on harm reduction, education and prevention. AIDS Vancouver is working with the CDC Street Nurses and the STOP Team as well as other organizations.
While next steps in service delivery are determined, AIDS Vancouver is now transitioning this project that will support people who use substances and are at risk for HIV and HCV within the Vancouver Asian Community.
We would like to see these programs and services continue and expand and are committed to engaging the community to broaden the scope of HIV services to the Asian communities by working with the Provincial and Federal governments to obtain additional funding to provide these much needed outreach programs.
Dr. Brian Chittock, AIDS Vancouver's Executive Director stated that, "AIDS Vancouver believes that by expanding our current programs and services in providing an Asian Outreach Project and eventually expanding outreach services to Asian communities is vitally important considering that very few services are being provided to those at-risk within the Asian communities."
For Media Enquiries or Interviews:
Fleur Cooper
Development and Communications Manager
Direct: 604 696 4657
fleurc@aidsvancouver.org
www.aidsvancouver.org
Reproduced with permission - AIDS Vancouver "
AIDS Vancouver
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