aprii 6.2001 * J u s t
“It’s been years since we were able to talk
just about sex and condoms. It’s much more
complicated today. We talk about a whole host
of sexually transmitted diseases. We talk about
the impact substance abuse has on decision
making. We talk about self-esteem and what
we tend to do when we’re lonely, hungry and
eager to be loved, wanted and needed. Forget
sex for a second— now we’re into needles and
bleach and being addicted to the rush and the
high and what all those issues are about,”
Bmner concludes.
Feeling rejected
lthough pleased by the new stability of the
organization, critics among the HIV-posi
tive community claim CAP relies more on
national trends and statistics instead of seeking
direct input from its own clients. Some suggest
the organization should assemble an advisory
board composed of people living with HIV or
AIDS in order to give voice to its consumers.
And because of CA P’s recent renais
sance, members of the sexual minori
ties community specifically have felt
that CA P has abandoned them.
Bruner recognizes that this last con-
n
A s part of its metamorphosis, Cascade A ID S Project no longer provides testing, leaving
concerned citizens at the doorsteps of county agencies
An example, Bruner says, is a client who
has HIV and has been doing relatively well for
some time. This person identifies a particular
service within CAP, then comes looking for
help.
“Do we give it to you.7 Automatically.7 Just
because you have HIV? Does HIV status—
completely independent of all other factors—
entitle you to a guarantee of publicly funded
assistance? And, if so, does it guarantee it to
you indefinitely?” Bruner asks. “Here’s my
answer: Absolutely not. The qualification is
need. The qualification is that other resources
do not exist. You have exhausted all other
resources or services. No one else in your fami
ly or church or friendship support system is
able to step in to assist.”
That concept is a big shift in philosophy for
an organization whose arms were once as wide
open as Bruner’s home state of Texas.
“You can get away with that when your
resources are sufficient to meet all demand
without having to really think a lot, hut it is an
entitlement mentality," the projects chief sug
gests. “It’s a welfare mentality. It’s a handout.
It’s quick, it’s easy, it’s simple. You provide veri
fication of your diagnosis, and you get it. It’s
old-school social work that defines help in
terms of the amount of stuff I give you, as
opposed to how much you need. As opposed to
how much you can get yourself. As opposed to
how much others in your family or church or
neighborhood can provide. It’s a system that
views itself as there to give away a bunch of
stuff. The more stuff I give you, the more I’ve
helped you. It’s ultimately degrading to the
people in need. It treats them as helpless, as
unable to do anything for themselves.”
Risky business
S
«
imilar to re-evaluating its support services,
CA P has taken a second look at its preven
tion work. In order to increase effectiveness,
the organization has narrowed its focus to pop
ulations at highest behavioral risk.
“While we like to say that HIV is an equal-
opportunity infection, it’s not and it never has
been,” Bruner says. “Some people are clearly at
higher risk than others. They are not at higher
risk because they are black, gay, young or
female. What puts you at increased risk of HIV
infection are what you do, who you do it with
and how you do it.”
Bruner acknowledges that everyone needs a
basic working knowledge of the virus and dis
ease. The broad and generic work, however, in
which any outreach activity could he classified
as prevention, is no longer possible. This
includes, as he says, facilitating potluck meet
ings for white-collar, middle-aged gay men who
themselves report that they
are not at high
risk behavioral-
ly for HIV
infection.
“We need to
be spending time
with street kids,
homeless youth
and
runaway
youth,”
Bruner
explains. “Kids who
trade their bodies for
a night’s shelter or
for a meal, all around
downtown Portland.
Not because they’re
the cutest, listen best
or write sweet cards
that then can he print
ed in a newsletter but
because that’s where
we’ve got to be.”
And prevention work in this
new arena requires a different
tack.
DenmnG
seruices
From personal
to professional
Back-to-W ork: Increasing independence by helping clients re-enter the work force.
Personal Active Listener: Providing emotional support and practical assistance.
Apoyo Latino: Helping Spanish-speaking families access services and education.
In-Home Caregiver Training: Educating professional caregivers for people with HIV.
Development Projects: Helping build affordable housing.
Transitional and Permanent Housing: Providing a bridge to a stable home.
Warehouse: Providing donated furnishings and moving assistance.
A lso: Legal services, transportation and emergency short-term financial assistance.
Prevent
Speakers Bureau: Educating by sharing personal stories.
Teen to Teen: Reaching out to youth at risk through peer educators.
Speak to Your Brothers: Counseling and education targeting at-risk gay and hi men.
A ID S Hotline: Providing information to callers from across Oregon and the Northwest.
Advocate
•
•
•
•
“Does H IV status— completely
independent o f all other factors
entitle you to a guarantee o f pub
licly funded assistance? A n d , if so,
does it guarantee it to you
indefinitely? H ere’s my answer:
Absolutely not.
The qualification is need.
The qualification is that other
resources do not exist.
You have exhausted all other
resources or services.
N o one else in your family or
church or friendship support
system is able to step in to assist.”
—Thomas Bruner
Support and house
•
•
•
•
cem is shared by organizations around the
country as many try to honor their original
mission of serving those who have HIV or
AIDS, not just those who are homosexual.
“When I arrived here, it was very apparent
to me that our staff at that time was in a very
different place. I think many of them identified
their HIV work with gay rights work and gay
community organizing. They saw them as one
and the same, and they’re not,” Bruner says.
“We are clearly about the business of HIV as a
health and human rights issue, and not a gay
community center. Not a gay rights organiza
tion. And not a gay mental health center. No
one ever said it to me, but I think it blew a lot
of folks away that the bearer of that message
was himself a white gay man— and not just a
white gay man but a white gay man who had a
15-year history in HIV work.”
Craig Hartzman, president of CA P’s board
of directors, adds, “We will continue to be not
only the voice of gay and lesbian people con
cerned about HIV, but we’ll be the voice of and
advocate for all concerned Oregonians and
southwest Washington residents.”
—
Cascade A ID S Project is so multifaceted that those who are unfamiliar with the organization
might not know what it actually does. Most of its efforts go into supporting and housing efforts, but
prevention and advocacy are important elements as well. Some examples include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
m
Lobbying: Meeting with elected officials about HIV-related legislation.
Public Policy: Promoting sound policy in government, workplace, school and other settings.
Education: Providing information on issues and needs to appointed policymakers.
Voter Registration: Encouraging people to exercise their vote in elections.
E
ven some who recognize the shift in demo
graphics have found CA P’s makeover hard
to swallow. The organization has abandoned its
grassroots heritage for a modem and efficient
corporate climate. Although this appeals to
administrative and fund-raising types, the idea
of a big-business approach colors the view for
those who appreciated the nonprofit’s earlier
sense of community.
“I think there is a very healthy chunk of
your readership that resents the hell out of the
professionalization of HIV and AIDS services,”
Bmner tells Just Out. "A lot of these [critics]
are people that were around volunteering,
helping, fund raising in the earliest days. If
somebody did a barbecue on the patio of a bar
that raised $90, somebody with AIDS was
given $90. The idea that somehow we’ve gone
from that to a computerized, professionally
audited, professionally marketed, multimillion-
dollar, 50-staff person, nonprofit business oper
ation, it’s almost an affront. It’s not just that
they don’t get it, but it pisses them off."
Continued on Page 28
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