ICAN Programs
ICAN offers a variety of HIV/AIDS education and prevention services to the wider community in continuing the fight to elminate new infections.
SISTA (Sisters Informing Sisters on Topics of AIDS)
SISTA provides peer education to young African American women in Lee and Collier Counties. The behavioral modification intervention targets high risk heterosexual women and consists of five two-hour training sessions covering gender and ethnic pride, HIV/AIDS education, and sexual negotiation skills. Funded by the Closing the Gap Grant with matching funds from the United Way Grant. There were 154 graduates of the SISTA program in fiscal year ending June 30,2008.. SISTA has been a funded program at ICAN nine years. It is monitored by the Florida Department of Health twice annually, and all monitorings have been spotless.
VOICES/VOCES
(Video Opportunities for Innovative Condom Education and Safer Sex)
In conjunction with the Collier County Health Department, VOICES Project is a single-session, video-based HIV/AIDS/STD’s prevention workshop designed to reduce the risk of HIV infection among heterosexual African-American and Hispanic adults, ages 18 and over. VOICES is funded by the Closing the Gap Grant with matching funds from the United Way Grant. There were 1,156 graduates of the VOICES/VOCES program in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008. VOICES/VOCES has been a funded program at ICAN for four years and is monitored by the Florida Department of Health twice annually.
Probation Program
Attendance at ICAN’s three-hour HIV/AIDS awareness class earns probationers (persons coming out of the criminal justice system) 15 hours of community service. The price to attend is $20, and classes are held every other Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. at ICAN’s Centex Center conference room. To sign-up call 239-337-2391 or email . Classes are taught in both Spanish and English. In 2007, 463 probationers participated resulting in 9,260 in revenue for ICAN. During the first six months of 2008, 401 participants completed the program. Currently, expansion plans are under way to start this program in Collier County.
Community Outreach
Community outreach begins with one-on-one assessments of individuals within high-risk populations, and continues with referrals for HIV related services and HIV counseling and testing. Participants in the SISTA and VOICES/VOCES programs are recruited through community outreach. During 2007, ICAN made 50,727 outreach contacts (not an unduplicated count), distributed 68,581 prevention aids (condoms, lubricants and dams), handed out 52,918 informational brochures, and made 50,426 referrals for HIV testing, group level interventions, substance abuse treatment and STD testing.
HIV 411
HIV 411 is an Internet chat room intervention in which volunteers enter chat rooms where men who have sex with men meet to set up sexual encounters. While in the chat rooms, ICAN volunteers engage those seeking sex in a discussion about the risk of HIV, prevention methods and general HIV information. This program was started in 2006.
Community Education
HIV/AIDS training and information is provided to non-profits, businesses, schools, civic clubs and the general public. ICAN provides monthly staff training for Lee Mental Health and Southwest Florida Addiction Services employees, staff training as needed for Lee Memorial Health Systems, Lee Association for Retarded Citizens and the Abuse Counseling and Treatment Center, monthly HIV/AIDS training for federal halfway house clients at Salvation Army, quarterly HIV awareness classes for residents at Ruth Cooper Center’s Reeve’s House, HIV/AIDS training for High Tech Center North’s Allied Health Programs, Florida Academy of Massage, Heritage Institute and Charlotte Behavioral Services. For profit entities and out-of-county non-profits pay a fee for each class.
HIV Counseling & Testing
ICAN provides HIV testing by appointment only. During 2007, five additional HIV counselors and testers have been trained, and testing volume has more than tripled. With the addition of a volunteer at the Ruth Cooper Center conducting HIV testing for ICAN and three Creole speaking testers, it is anticipated that ICAN’s testing volume will exceed 600 tests in 2008. CLICK HERE TO GET TESTED.
Annual Seminars
ICAN provides HIV/AIDS speakers for annual seminars on domestic violence, sexual violence and substance abuse held in Southwest Florida.
