Employment Training Center of Expertise

The Albany Damien Center and the National Working Positive Coalition are joining expertise to deliver trainings to HIV/AIDS service providers on topics surrounding expanding Employment Opportunities for PLHIV.

This Employment Training Center of Expertise will deliver regional trainings to the community and agencies while providing technical assistance provided by a diverse team of lived experience trainers to expand employment opportunities for PLHIV across all of NYS.

The audiences targeted for these trainings are staff, peer workers, and leadership of CBOs and health care facilities to build their capacity to support the employment of PLHIV by overcoming barriers to employment, navigating transitions between public benefits and employment.

Schedule of Webinars:
January 15: What To Know!: Working While Receiving Public Benefits
February 12 : Resources People Living with HIV Can Harvest: Addressing Employment Needs
March 26 : Discussing Employment Questions and Needs in HIV Supportive Services
April 23 : Best Practices for Employing People Living with HIV in the HIV Workforce
May 14 : Expanding HIV Supportive Services Toolkits: Local HIV Employment Services Networks
June 04 : Best Practices for Employing People Living with HIV in the HIV Workforce


Regional Employment Programs:
Albany: Albany Damien Center Employment Pathways Program
Long Island: NADAP Nassau Employment Initiative
Bronx: Housing Solutions of New York: JUST Health Employment Program
Brooklyn: Housing Works: Ready for Work Program
Rochester: Catholic Charities Family & Community Services: Step Up To Employment Program

Additional Employment Resources:
Path to Jobs
ACCES-VR- The New York State Vocational Rehabilitation Agency (local district offices)
New York State Career Centers
NYS Peer Worker Certification Program
Ticket to Work Program (Social Security Administration
Find Local Ticket to Work Providers (Employment Networks)

Benefits Counseling Resources:
Benefits Counseling Pilot Project
20-Minute Video Overview of the Benefits Counseling Pilot Program located here
* note: In the Keyword Search, enter “benefits counseling” to pull up the video.   
 
Benefits Counseling Providers:
The Family Center, Brooklyn
Phone: 718-230-1379  
webpage: https://www.thefamilycenter.org

New York Council on Adoptable Children, Midtown
Phone: 212-475-0222  
webpage: http://www.coac.org/hiv-support)

BCP Brochure and Contact Information
 webpage: http://www.tinyurl.com/BCPbrochure

Legal Services:
Legal and Supportive Services for Individuals and Families Living with HIV/AIDS (LASSIF) 

Additional Resources:
Uninsured Care Programs (including ADAP, APIC, PrEP-AP, HepCAP, NCAP)  
webpage: https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/aids/general/resources/adap/
Contact: Karin Timour -Director of Downstate Outreach and Technical Assistance, Uninsured Care Programs  Email: [email protected]  
Cell: 646-477-8671  

Training and Webinars:
Getting to Work: An Online Training for HIV Service Providers and Housing Providers 
To Join the Training Center Email List or Request Agency-Level Technical Assistance:
 Email: T[email protected]

To Register for Future Webinars:
Visit the NYS Department of Health & AIDS Institute's webpage https://www.hivtrainingny.org/Home/CourseListings and search for our webinars by name or by the training center (Albany Damien Center) to find upcoming sessions.

For further inquiries or assistance, please reach out to the appropriate contacts listed above.