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Community
Service Council
Main Towers Building
16 East 16th Street,
Suite 202
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74119-4402
918 / 585-5551 phone
918 / 585-3285 fax
E-mail the Council
The Council is a citizen-
led non-profit United Way member agency
and a member of the
National
Association
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Community Service Council
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On this page:
New:
AIDS
Walk: October 3, 2009
2009 HIV/AIDS Services List
Video
"Empowering the Yard" film
earns recognition
Gathering of the Evergreens Celebration
HIV/AIDS_in Tulsa
AIDS_Coalition_of_Tulsa_(ACT)
Tulsa_Community_AIDS_Partnership_(TCAP)
National AIDS Fund AmeriCorps Team
HIV/AIDS ARCHIVES (information from past years)
AIDS
Walk, October 11
AIDS Statistics
Worldwide
People living with AIDS – 40 million
Newly infected in 2003 – 5 million
AIDS deaths in 2003 – 3 million
Children living with AIDS – 2.9 million
United States
At the end of 2003,
an estimated 1,039,000 to 1,185,000 persons in the United States were living
with HIV/AIDS, with 24-27% undiagnosed and unaware of their HIV infection.
Oklahoma and
Tulsa
Oklahomans with HIV/AIDS in 2005 – 4,442*
Tulsans with HIV/AIDS – 1,648**
Population of people living with HIV in Tulsa grows by 100 people per year
Almost 3,000 Oklahomans who have been diagnosed with HIV infection did not seek
medical care or treatment last year for HIV/AIDS; Oklahoma has one of highest
percentages of people who have tested HIV positive who are not receiving medical
care or treatment in the United States
*Oklahoma
State Department of Health revised statistics as of 12/31/05
**AIDS
Coalition of Tulsa estimate including out-of-state cases as of 12/31/05
New HIV infections continue
to increase in Oklahoma and in Tulsa at a steady pace. The population of persons
living with HIV and AIDS in Tulsa is growing by approximately 100 persons per
year. According to the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH), there are now
nearly 4,500 Oklahomans who are currently living with an HIV or AIDS
diagnosis (HIV/AIDS statistical report, OSDH, December 31, 2005). Approximately
1,650 persons are currently living with HIV/AIDS in the metropolitan Tulsa area.
(This includes cases in two counties, Pawnee and Okmulgee that were added to the
Tulsa Metropolitan Statistical Area in June 2003 and out-of-state cases now
residing in the Tulsa area). Hundreds of other Tulsa area residents are infected
with the virus and have not been tested.
Community resources to
prevent new HIV infections and to promote health for persons who are already
infected have not kept pace with the growing need for Tulsa HIV/AIDS services.
Scarce resources and funding shortfalls often serve as access barriers for
clients and promote competition between community groups trying to respond to
client needs. Community planning leadership is still needed to coordinate
Tulsa’s response to the AIDS epidemic. Collaboration among health and human
service providers, physicians, volunteers, representatives of state and local
government, legal services, schools, and the religious community is needed now
more than ever to address the needs of the growing population of people living
with HIV/AIDS and those who are at risk for HIV infection.
New advances in HIV treatment have extended the quality and length of life for
persons with HIV/AIDS. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
recommends combination prescription drug therapy for all persons diagnosed with
HIV infection. Effective prescription drug therapy costs at a minimum $10,000
per person per year, and primary medical care costs approximately $2,000 per
year. However, more than half of the persons in Tulsa needing HIV treatment are
not in regular medical care (HIV/AIDS Out-of-Care Special Report, OSDH, May
2003), and the majority of clients are indigent without personal sources of
support. The majority of HIV/AIDS clients need help with basic needs, and HIV
infection is only one of the many problems they face on a daily basis. When
HIV/AIDS clients are connected to medical care and other supportive services,
there is an opportunity to work with them on personal responsibility issues and
risk reduction behavior in an effort to stop new HIV infections.
Additional community resources are greatly needed in Tulsa to address the
medical, social service, and prevention case management needs of the more than
800 individuals who are aware of their HIV diagnosis and not in care. HIV
prevention programs still lack adequate funding to reach many of the high-risk
populations to offer them HIV education, counseling and testing, and referral
for care. Private sector funding is critically needed to expand and fill in the
gaps in HIV/AIDS services in a severely strained service delivery system.
TCAP received a $60,000 challenge
grant from the National AIDS Fund and awarded $150,000 in new
grants in December 2007.
The Tulsa Community AIDS Partnership (TCAP) was formed in
l993 to administer a multi-year challenge grant from the National AIDS Fund, to
develop resources for HIV prevention and care, and to promote awareness about
the impact of HIV/AIDS in our community. TCAP is convened by the Tulsa Area
United Way with the Community Service Council serving as co-convener. T
TCAP raises money and makes grants for top priority HIV/AIDS prevention and care
needs in the Tulsa metropolitan area. A 32-member Advisory Council composed of
representatives from corporations, foundations, the medical community,
volunteers, and persons living with HIV and AIDS oversees TCAP’s fundraising and
grantmaking program. TCAP assesses local HIV/AIDS needs, selects priority
concerns for funding, invites local organizations to submit proposals, and
awards grants to Tulsa programs. TCAP has granted 1.6 million dollars to Tulsa
HIV/AIDS programs in the past ten years.
In 2005, TCAP will provide funding for 15 HIV prevention and care grants
totaling $126,376 in Tulsa. In addition, TCAP has sponsored a National AIDS Fund
AmeriCorps team working in Tulsa HIV prevention and care services for the past
ten years. In 2005, AmeriCorps members contributed 8,200 hours of service to
Tulsa HIV/AIDS programs. This year’s five-member team is assigned to Tulsa
organizations providing HIV prevention education for youth and women, HIV
counseling and testing, transportation, support groups, and referrals for basic
needs services including food, housing and medical care for persons living with
HIV/AIDS.
TCAP will apply for an 13th challenge grant from the National AIDS Fund in April
2006 and anticipates raising approximately $80,000 in local matching dollars for
Tulsa programs before December 31, 2006. In addition, TCAP has been awarded an
13th National AIDS Fund AmeriCorps Team to begin working in Tulsa HIV prevention
and care services in September 2006. Recruitment of the new AmeriCorps team
members is currently underway.
The program
is focused on investing in, enhancing, and expanding an effective system of
community supports and services addressing HIV/AIDS. The part-time director is a
Masters level social worker/planner with over 17 years experience in addressing
HIV/AIDS and has been recognized at the local, state and national levels for her
outstanding contributions to area of work. CSC board members, TAUW volunteers,
and other concerned individuals serve on the Partnership and assist in
decisionmaking.
The ten 2003 TCAP-funded HIV prevention programs reach populations at high risk
for acquiring or transmitting HIV including youth, women, men at high risk for
HIV, Hispanics, incarcerated men and women, and HIV positive individuals. In
2003:
- 3,000 incarcerated women received HIV prevention education in 5 Oklahoma
prisons
- 900 high-risk teenagers and young adults were reached through presentations
at alternative schools, group homes, youth shelters, and college campuses, and
134 requested HIV testing
- 200 Native Americans at high risk for HIV were reached with prevention
education and risk assessment programs funded by TCAP grants
- 3,000 individuals received testing from The HOPE Testing Clinic.
. Of the 142 Hispanics receiving services, two tested HIV positive.
. More than 200 high-risk men were reached through TCAP funding, and
five tested positive for HIV.
. Approximately 95%of the new positive cases were directed into Tulsa
HIV care services.
The six 2003 TCAP-funded HIV care and treatment services assist persons who are
living with HIV and AIDS, and affected family members. In 2003, TCAP-funded
grants provided rent and utility deposits for 30 low income HIV positive
individuals, food and nutritional supplements on a monthly basis for 62 persons
living with HIV/AIDS, transportation (585 rides to medical appointments),
insurance assistance for 2 individuals who were unable to pay their private
health insurance premiums, antiretroviral prescription drug therapy for 12
individuals, and a weekend retreat for long-term survivors and family members
who are coping with the daily stresses of living with HIV. 540 clients benefited
from a grant to Tulsa CARES for a resource development staff member and her
successful efforts in raising new funds and volunteers to address client needs
in 2003.
TCAP
continues to work toward outcomes including:
- TCAP-funded HIV prevention programs will offer effective services for at risk
populations including youth, women, men at high risk for HIV, Hispanics, HIV
positive persons, and incarcerated populations
-
TCAP-funded HIV care grants will provide food and hot meals, transportation,
prescription drugs, insurance assistance, and mental health counseling for
persons living with HIV and AIDS
TCAP works closely with the AIDS Coalition of Tulsa’s network of HIV prevention
and care services and the Oklahoma State Department of Health.
AIDS Coalition of Tulsa (ACT)
The Community Service Council sponsors the AIDS Coalition
of Tulsa, which provides community planning and leadership to coordinate Tulsa’s
response to the AIDS epidemic. The AIDS Coalition provides a forum in which
clients, health and human service providers, physicians, volunteers,
representatives of state and local government, legal services, schools, and the
religious community can work together to identify and develop the core services
that are needed for a strong service delivery system. The Coalition promotes
collaboration among community programs, the sharing of resources, and the
reduction of access barriers for clients in a time of growing requests by HIV
positive individuals for help.
The AIDS Coalition of Tulsa publishes a monthly newsletter to keep the 200
members updated on upcoming funding opportunities, and new developments in HIV
prevention, care, and treatment. The AIDS Coalition’s coordinator provides
community planning leadership for HIV/AIDS needs assessments, special reports on
demographic trends, and inventories of current services and resources related to
HIV/AIDS.
Staffing is provided through the same individual who staffs TCAP, and many
volunteers from the community concerned with HIV/AIDS participate as well as
representatives of the many participating groups and organizations. Education
forums, planning sessions, and research projects of the Coalition help guide the
work of TCAP, the State Health Department, TAUW, and an array of other funders
and policymakers related to their actions on HIV/AIDS.
More than 1,648 Tulsa area HIV/AIDS clients who are aware of their HIV infection
benefit from the work of the AIDS Coalition of Tulsa. More than 50 local and
state programs are members of the AIDS Coalition and benefit from the
coordination and resource development work of the Coalition. Resources are not
available at this time to collect and compile client demographics from the
multitude of Tulsa agencies and programs serving people at risk for HIV
infection and those serving clients already infected with HIV.
The Coalition continues to work toward outcomes which include:
- Community programs participating in AIDS Coalition-sponsored activities will
be better informed about client needs and prepared to provide effective services
for clients at risk for HIV infection and those who are already living with
HIV/AIDS
- Clients needing HIV prevention and care will benefit from better access and
an expansion of HIV/AIDS services in our community
- Number of HIV positive individuals who
enter care after testing positive seeking basic needs
and supportive services
There are no
other organizations in eastern Oklahoma that provide coordination for HIV/AIDS
services. The AIDS Coalition of Tulsa works closely with the Tulsa Community
AIDS Partnership (TCAP) and state health department sponsored planning groups.
If you would like the Team to help with service projects at your agency, please
call Janice Nicklas at 585-5551.
Past years' teams
17th AIDS Walk
Tulsa - Saturday, October 3rd, 2009
All proceeds from the 2009 Walk will go to support the cost of a 5 member
National AIDS Fund AmeriCorps Team working in Tulsa HIV prevention and care
programs. Current and former AmeriCorps members will be introduced and
honored at the Walk. 2009 marks the 16th year that Tulsa has hosted National
AIDS Fund AmeriCorps members, and is the only city to be awarded a Team every
year since the program began in l994. AIDS Walk Tulsa is hosted by
COMMUNITY SERVICE COUNCIL OF GREATER TULSA.
Please make a donation online with a credit card by visiting our secure
Firstgiving page:
http://www.firstgiving.com/aidswalktulsa2009. Firstgiving will email
you a printable record of your donation.
"Empowering the Yard" film
earns recognition
“Empowering the Yard” was selected as a winning film for the 2008 Tulsa Film
Festival. In addition, “Empowering the Yard” won the 2008 Silver
International Davey Award in November. The Davey Awards serve as a benchmark
for recognizing creative excellence and continue to raise the bar in honoring
the best work from small agencies and firms worldwide.
Congratulations to Melanie Spector and the student
film makers from San Francisco State University who produced the film about the
lives of female inmates at Eddie Warrior Correctional Facility in Oklahoma.
The documentary looks at HIV prevention from the perspective of incarcerated
women who are using peer education to empower themselves, their families, and
their communities. The HIV Peer Education Program provides an opportunity for
incarcerated women to teach each other about the issues they face including safe
sex, sexually transmitted infections, drugs and violence.
Looking back...2008:
World AIDS Day - December 1, 2008
The theme for the 2008 Event
was
“Stop AIDS - Keep the Promise: Lead, Empower, and Deliver.” Tulsa’s
evening service was Monday, December 1st from 6 - 7:15 p.m. at
Unity Church, 3355 South Jamestown. Guest speakers were Shana Cozad
(Leadership), Stepehn Eberle (Empowerment), and Sharon Thoele (Delivery of
Services). Read more:
www.worldaidscampaign.org.
 AIDS Coalition of Tulsa – Gathering of the Evergreens
Luncheon and Awards Ceremony
The awards ceremony honored Coalition members and volunteers who have gone “the
extra mile” in the fight against AIDS in our community. On
Tuesday, December 9th, the Coalition presented 11 new awards for
outstanding service and dedication in HIV prevention and care. The
Evergreen Spirit Award symbolizes strength, courage, commitment and resilience
similar to the evergreen trees that dot the Oklahoma landscape in the cold of
winter and heat of summer. This year’s award winners are: Jaime Baker, Tulsa
CARES; Gary Meadows, Community of HOPE; Terry Klein, St. Joseph’s Residence;
Chaz Gaut, Hospice of Green Country; David Odle, Oklahoma Department of Human
Services; Barbara Saunders, community volunteer with the HIV Prevention Program
for Incarcerated Women’s Program; Marianne Wetherill, Tulsa CARES; Stan Smalts,
Oklahoma Department of Human Services; and Bruce Lewis, Tulsa CARES. Two top
awards were also given at the annual luncheon: the Truman Geren Memorial Award
for HIV Prevention was awarded to Heather Nash, American Red Cross, and the
Richard Shackelford Award for HIV Care honored Shana Cozad, Oklahoma State
Department of Health.
“It is so
important to recognize ‘the unsung heroes’ in Tulsa’s effort to stop AIDS. Our
colleagues still work long hours to the point of exhaustion, and many have vowed
to stay at it until we get the epidemic under control. Sadly, the numbers of
HIV positive Americans are growing larger each year and many Tulsans are getting
infected who are unaware that that they are at risk. Once a year, we take the
opportunity to thank those who have taken on the challenge of trying to prevent
new infections and provide compassionate care for those who are already
infected. Our award winners are constantly reminding Tulsa area residents to
take the HIV test…it is quick, free, and painless. Everyone should know their
HIV status,” said Janice Nicklas, Director, Tulsa Community AIDS Partnership and
Senior Planner, Community Service Council. The Coalition, sponsored by the
Community Service Council with support from the Tulsa Area United Way, has met
monthly since l988 for an educational forum and the coordination of HIV
prevention and care services in the Tulsa community.
In
the photo:
Janice Nicklas, Coordinator, AIDS Coalition of Tulsa with Shana
Cozad, Oklahoma State Department of Health and winner of the Richard Shackelford
Memorial Award for HIV Care.
2008 AIDS Walk: Saturday, October 11th
Brochure
Thanks to all who supported the 16th AIDS Walk Tulsa on October 11th
at 9 a.m. at Veterans Park, 21st and Boulder. Funds raised at the
Walk will go to pay the local cost of a 5 member National AIDS Fund AmeriCorps
Team working in Tulsa HIV prevention and care services. This year, the 5 member
team has been assigned to work in HIV prevention education, counseling and
testing at the HOPE Testing Clinic, the University of Tulsa Student Health
Center, the American Red Cross, and Planned Parenthood. In addition, AmeriCorps
members will assist clients living with HIV/AIDS with supportive care services
such as case management, transportation assistance and grocery shopping and
meals at Tulsa C.A.R.E.S. and Our House Too. To make a donation online, please go
to:
www.firstgiving.com/AIDSWALKTULSA
Special thanks to our
Sponsors: Starbucks, MAC AIDS Fund and MAC Cosmetics, Walgreens, PFLAG, the Gay
and Lesbian Fund of Tulsa, Urban Tulsa, and FOX 23.
Dr. Frances Haas, University
of Oklahoma Internal Medicine Clinic, was honorary chair of the 2008
Walk. Dr. Haas has provided care and treatment for people living with HIV and
AIDS for more than a decade.
Looking back...2007:
2007 Gathering of the
Evergreens Annual Awards Luncheon
The
AIDS Coalition of Tulsa held
its annual potluck luncheon and awards ceremony on Tuesday,
December 18th at Noon in the
Collins Room,
United Way Building,
1430 South Boulder.
Participants shared lunch, enjoyed music from Rebecca Ungerman and John Sawyer, and heard wishes for the New Year from
Steve Eberle, Milton Harris, and Linda Jenkins.
Eight Evergreen Spirits Awards
recognized colleagues and volunteers who have gone the extra
mile in AIDS Work. In addition, there were two special
awards presented for outstanding service in HIV prevention and
care.
2007 World AIDS Day
service
described as "beautiful" and "very meaningful"
The sanctuary at All Souls Unitarian Church was filled on Friday evening, January 5th for
Tulsa’s
rescheduled World AIDS Day Service. The lighting of candles in remembrance of
those we have lost to HIV/AIDS was followed by featured speakers Tommy Chesbro
and Tamara Lebak using the global theme – “Keep the Promise: Stop AIDS” in their
presentations. Wonderful additions to the service were music by Sisters in Song
directed by Rebecca Ungerman, and Bishop Carlton Pearson (singing “Bridge Over
Troubled Waters”). A special thank you
to Committee members: Tamara Lebak, Stephen Eberle, Natalie Ingraham, Melanie
Spector, Jamie Baker, Sallie Godwin, Tommy Chesbro, Lizette Merchan, J.R.
Hall, Rick Fortner, Lindy Kroenert, Patrick Prough, Kristy Seymour, Audra
Farrow, Jessica Brent, and Janice Nicklas. We appreciate Ray Chance making it
possible to have the NAMES Project Quilt Panels at the Service.
To top of page
I
CSC Home I
HIV/AIDS ARCHIVES (information from past years)
For more information:
Janice Nicklas - 918-585-5551 -
jnicklas@csctulsa.org - Community Service Council, 16 East 16th Street,
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74119.
The Coalition and the
Partnership are programs of the
Community Service Council of Greater Tulsa, a United Way agency
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