Posted: 12/4/2014
Publication vital resource for newly-diagnosed
The 2014 Handbook: Guide for HIV and AIDS Services in North Texas recently printed by Parkland Health & Hospital System and the Dallas area Ryan White Planning Council-Dallas has become an invaluable tool for many North Texans and the agencies that help them.
The handbook, which contains information about dozens of agencies, groups and organizations, often is the first place that people turn to when they are diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, said Norma Piel-Brown, HIV Program Manager in Parkland’s HIV Department. The handbook is free to patients at all Ryan White-funded agencies.
The publication of the handbook comes as Dallas joins communities around the world in observing World AIDS Day on Dec. 1. The day is intended to educate, inspire and empower people to fight HIV/AIDS.
“When you are diagnosed with HIV, you need help finding medical care, but many times people need much more than that–they need assistance in finding many other kinds of help. This handbook has a comprehensive list, not only of all kinds of social service and medical entities, but also what each does and who they serve,” Piel-Brown said.
The HIV handbook provides information about which agencies offer medical care, case management, counseling, clothing, and even food and housing assistance. It also offers a step-by-step guide to how someone with HIV can access medical care, what to expect when signing up for services and how to prove eligibility. This is the 16th edition of the publication but the first time Parkland has been involved in printing it.
“We know that many times, clients will carry this book around because it helps them navigate the network of services and agencies that are out there,” Piel-Brown said.
While the handbook previously had certain sections translated into Spanish, for the first time an entirely Spanish-language version is available. A total of 10,000 copies of the handbook have been printed. Funding for the project came from Ryan White Planning Council-Dallas and the Texas Department of State Health Services. Parkland provided in-kind contributions that made production of the handbook possible.
Parkland offers numerous services to individuals who are living with HIV. It has five HIV clinics, an HIV Prevention Program, the TX/OK AIDS Education and Training Center, HIV Consumer Advisory Board, and the HIV Research Unit operated by The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Support services also are available for family and friends of HIV/AIDS patients. For information about Parkland HIV services, please call 214.590.7055.
For more information about the HIV handbook and where to obtain a copy, call 214.590.6546.
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