OVERVIEW

HIV/AIDS Beyond the Stigma: Seeing the Human in HIV is organized by Therapist Development Center (TDC).

Course Overview:
This course will help therapists increase their professional knowledge related to HIV/AIDS and will enhance the therapist’s skills and application in practice. The course will not only increase the therapist’s knowledge of the virus and the disease, but it will also explore HIV/AIDS stigma which affects prevention, treatment, and services. This course includes nine client scenarios that bring together essential HIV/AIDS knowledge, ethical and legal issues, therapy strategies, resources, and appropriate referrals. The course also includes personal stories of persons with HIV/AIDS to help the therapist better understand the human being with HIV/AIDS. This course provides 7 hours of CE.

The instructor is Jocelyn Archer, RN, B.A.N, M.Div. Ms. Archer has been involved in the HIV epidemic since 1986. As an AIDS Nurse Clinician and Case Manager at a major University Medical Center, she supported and coordinated care for hundreds of HIV/AIDS patients as they progressed through their illnesses. She also tested and counseled hundreds of HIV-positive individuals. Ms. Archer co-authored three major AIDS research articles—one published in JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association. She functioned as a clinical research nurse coordinating studies for the Center for Disease Control, the University of Minnesota, the National Hemophilia Foundation, and the Minnesota Department of Health. One such study evaluated if appropriate services were available for HIV/AIDS patients and if they could access services. As an advocate for persons living with HIV/AIDS and the LGBTQ community, Ms. Archer did extensive public speaking and used her knowledge to combat AIDS hysteria early in the epidemic. She continues to enjoy public speaking and works to help decrease the negative stigmatization associated with HIV/AIDS. Ms. Archer has held several administrative positions in the healthcare setting, including Director of Clinical Services, Director of Quality, and Director of Education.

Course Objectives:
Participants will be able to:
• Articulate HIV/AIDS knowledge relevant to clients
• Identify therapy strategies for HIV/AIDS-related issues
• Identify and respond appropriately to HIV/AIDS ethical dilemmas
• Identify HIV/AIDS-specific laws
• Identify and make appropriate referrals for clients
• Identify and access available HIV/AIDS resources for clients
• Articulate the importance of Antiretroviral Therapy
• Identify therapy strategies related to medication adherence
• Develop increased awareness of HIV/AIDS stigma
• Develop increased awareness of HIV/AIDS-related countertransference
• Explain the transmission of HIV
• Make appropriate referrals for HIV testing
• Explain the function of pre-exposure prophylaxis and post-exposure prophylaxis
• Identify the direct and indirect relationship between HIV/AIDS and substance abuse
• Identify at-risk groups and at-risk clients