HIV POSITIVE
A New Look at HIV/AIDS and Sexual & Mental Health Issues

Presented By: Kevin Gallagher, MS, LCMHC
Serena Hollmeyer, Vermont CARES
Deborah Kutzko, APRN, Fletcher Allen Health Care

Friday, January 18, 2008, 8:30AM - 4:45PM
Capitol Plaza, 100 State Street, Montpelier, VT

While Vermont is considered a low prevalence state with regard to HIV/AIDS, there has recently been a rise in the number of infections in the state. Experts are concerned that Vermont’s epidemic is shifting away from current trends to include more marginalized and harder to reach populations.

Those living with HIV/AIDS have a difficult time finding a mental health care provider who is knowledgeable about the disease as well as being well -versed in both the clinical aspects of chronicity and the stigma associated with living with an HIV/AIDS diagnosis.

This workshop, presented in conjunction with Vermont CARES, the state’s largest AIDS Service Organization (ASO), will focus on the medical aspects of HIV/AIDS and the clinical features of working with populations living with or at risk of contracting HIV/AIDS. This training will serve to partner the medical community, ASOs and the mental health provider community to create a more effective system of referrals for Vermonters living with HIV/AIDS.

Morning Session: Medical & Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS

The morning session will focus on the medical and social aspects of HIV/AIDS. There will be a brief informational presentation on the mechanisms of infection, how disease is not transmitted, how the disease progresses and how HIV/AIDS is treated. A presenter from Vermont CARES will speak about the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS and the steps that can be taken on both community and personal levels to mitigate the stigma. This session will highlight the expertise and experience of the medical professionals and the social service professionals who work directly with those Vermonters living with and at risk for HIV/AIDS.

Serena Hollmeyer is the Anti-Stigma Program Specialist at Vermont CARES.
Deborah Kutzko, APRN, works in the Comprehensive Care Clinic at Fletcher Allen Health Care.

Afternoon Session: Working with Sexual & Mental Health Issues in Your Clinical Practice

The afternoon session will focus on the clinical aspects of working with HIV-positive patients and those at risk for HIV/AIDS. Kevin Gallagher, LCMHC, will be speaking about his experiences working with people living with HIV/AIDS and how to create increased sexual awareness in our clinical practice. Kevin will provide deep clinical insight into the hurdles and rewards he has experienced and will expand his presentation to educate us on how to feel comfortable making sexual education an integral part of our work.

Mental health counselors have an increasingly more challenging role in the area of sexual health with respect to their clients. We have learned about assessing for substance use/abuse, violence, financial distress/poverty issues, even weight/eating dynamics. However, the increase in contractions of STDs, across the lifespan, puts us in a more significant position to be sexually savvy in our clinical work. We all have various degrees of comfort with talking about sexuality and sexual behavior, personally and professionally. This workshop will help you develop a greater confidence and skill in your abilities to do thorough assessments with ALL of your clients regarding sexual health, as well as give you the tools to do proper psycho-education in a way that fits with your personal style of work. Kevin’s presentation and provocative questions will prompt you to reevaluate your perceptions of what makes a person at risk.

Kevin P. Gallagher, MS, LCMHC, is a Clinical Mental Health Counselor in a private practice in Burlington, VT. He has presented on numerous topics both regionally and nationally for nearly 20 years. His style of humor and engagement provides participants an opportunity to both learn and explore their own abilities to provide excellent clinical care.

PROGRAM SCHEDULE
8:30AM – 9:00AM Registration
9:00AM -10:00AM HIV 101: Latest Information and Research on HIV - Deborah Kutzko, APRN, Includes Discission of Drug Treatments and Drug Interactions
10:00AM - 10:30AM Questions & Discussion
10:30AM - 10:45AM Break
10:45AM - 11:15AM The Stigma of HIV – Serena Hollmeyer
11:15AM - 11:35AM Stigma Exercises – Truth & Myth
11:35AM - 11:50AM Questions & Discussion
11:50AM - 12:15PM How an AIDS Service Organization works in VT – Peter Jacobsen, Executive Director, VT CARES
12:15PM - 1:30PM Lunch
1:30PM - 3:00PM HIV and Mental Health Issues/Sexual Awareness in Your Sessions - Kevin P. Gallagher
3:00PM - 3:15PM Break
3:15PM - 4:45PM HIV and Mental Health Issues/Sexual Awareness in Your Sessions (continuation)

 

CEUs applied for: VTMHCA, VPA, NBCC, NASWVT