had the privilege of spending the last six weeks on placement at HIV Community Link. This was a unique opportunity because I am studying to be an occupational therapist, and there has never before been an occupational therapist at HIV Community Link. During this time I learned a lot about occupational therapy (OT) in the context of HIV, and I would like to share what I learned.
What You Need to Know…
At HIV Community Link we are committed to staying up-to-date on the latest and greatest information and trends affecting our work and the communities we serve. One way we do this is through our new series: What You Need to Know. The first four topics in this series are based on the most common and frequently asked questions we receive in-person, online, by phone, email and social media. Get in touch with all your questions – we’re the LINK!
Human Trafficking: A Sex Worker Rights & Harm Reduction Narrative
At Shift, we don’t spend a whole lot of time talking about human trafficking.
In 2014, we provided ongoing support and case management to 125 registered program clients; only a handful of these individuals had experienced trafficking. In the 8 year history of Shift, people experiencing human trafficking and other forms of sexual exploitation have remained a small minority of the individuals we support.
What Now?: Sex Work in Calgary Post Bill C-36
When Bill C-36 (The Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act) was first proposed the Shift Line phone was ringing off the hook. And honestly, it hasn’t stopped ringing. Sex workers are confused, upset, frustrated, and in general unsure how this new law is going to affect their lives. Many of the people who call us care about following the law and avoiding criminal charges, but these laws are so vague that they just can’t figure out what they can and cannot do.
2 Months or a Year – HCV Treatment Improvements
New direct-acting Antivirals are changing chronic Hepatitis C treatment for the better. Hepatitis C (HCV) treatment has gone from a once exhausting 48 weeks duration to as a little as 8 weeks with a 95% sustained virologic response (SVR). SVR is defined as a viremia (the presence of viruses in the blood) 24 weeks after completion of antiviral therapy for chronic HCV infection (. In analyses of SVR durability, the incidence of late relapse is extremely low, less than 1%.
Why I Choose the Shift Program
As I began my search for a practicum I knew that that finding a harm reduction program was top priority. In a sea of abstinence based programs in Calgary, I was ecstatic to find the Shift program, a pro-choice, client centered, program for adults who have ever been involved in sex work.
Everyone Loves Cooking with Coral
A number of years ago I was chatting with clients at a Friday lunch and the topic of cooking skills came up. I was surprised by the number of clients who stated that they didn’t know how to cook and what to cook to stay healthy. Shortly after this the birth of an interactive coffee connections now known as Cooking with Coral was born.
African Communities Project Rocking it in the Night Clubs
Online dating, youth groups and night clubs are all great places where people can meet and start dating. The African Communities project has made great strides in spreading the HIV message to its community members while most recently joining hands with some African Night clubs in the city.
13th Annual Harm Reduction Conference
This year we are so excited that Kenneth Tupper, Ph.D., Dr. Carl Hart and Donald MacPherson will be joining us as plenary speakers and we can’t wait to see who else! The call for abstracts for anyone interested in presenting has gone out and anyone wishing to submit an abstract related to policy, practice or research should do so by February 9, 2015!! The more the better!!
New Technologies are Changing the Dynamics of HIV Risk
Is a person who does not know their HIV status or who has never been tested pose a higher risk for HIV transmission due to their unknown or assumed HIV negative status than a person on TasP with controlled virus or on PreP and known HIV status? These are some of the questions being raised as a result of these new and emerging technologies.