Document 2179
 DOCN  M94A2179
 TI    Challenges of addressing needs of Asians & Pacific Islanders living with
       HIV in New York City.
 DT    9412
 AU    Eckholdt H; Chin J; Manzon J; Kim D; APICHA, Inc., New York, NY
       10038-3701.
 SO    Int Conf AIDS. 1994 Aug 7-12;10(1):363 (abstract no. PD0060). Unique
       Identifier : AIDSLINE ICA10/94370396
 AB    A needs assessment conducted by the Asian and Pacific Islander Coalition
       on HIV/AIDS, Inc. (APICHA), the region's only community based
       organization that provides services for A&PIs living with HIV/AIDS in
       the New York City area, will be discussed. Data were gathered from focus
       groups and interviews conducted with staff and clients. Discussions
       focused on issues related to client access to APICHA and client access
       to other service organizations in the surrounding area. A&PIs may
       provide special challenges to service organizations in the United
       States, in that as a group, dozens of languages are spoken, and
       different A&PI communities are often dispersed throughout many
       neighborhoods in a city. Although language was a pervasive barrier to
       service provision, simply providing interpreters may not be enough to
       provide access to HIV service organizations. People coming from small
       and dispersed communities may benefit from access to multiple
       organizations, and multi-site organizations that are physically and
       socially outside of their community. Efforts to access organizations are
       often unsuccessful not only from a lack of language support, but also
       insensitivity to the needs and fears of immigrants, migrants, refugees,
       and undocumented individuals. Discussion will include the process of
       selecting appropriate methods and for defining the focus of the needs
       assessment in a context of limited resources and a general lack of
       information on A&PIs and HIV. A general model being developed combines
       an ongoing needs assessment with program evaluation, both crucial needs
       of the organization. Solutions to linguistic barriers may not simply
       involve providing interpreters. Providing multiple sites of
       organizations serving the A&PI communities may be necessary. Training
       service providers in other organizations and institutions may be an
       inexpensive way to increase support for A&PI clients who access services
       as referrals from other A&PI organizations, as well as first-time
       clients. Data will be interpreted in the context of a complex
       relationship between a growing A&PI service organization, the evolving
       needs of clients, and the changing supports in the surrounding network
       of A&PI and non-A&PI service providers.
 DE    Asia/ETHNOLOGY  Communication Barriers  *Health Services Accessibility
       Human  HIV Infections/*ETHNOLOGY  New York City  Pacific
       Islands/ETHNOLOGY  Social Isolation  MEETING ABSTRACT

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).