The BLOC will train people of color living with HIV to be full, active, and engaged participants on planning bodies, medical and support care teams, boards of directors, and other efforts to address the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy.  We value your stories and your expertise, and we want to support you in building on them. The project will run from September 2016 – August 2019 and will host the following training events each year:

• One (1) national training for transgender women of color living with HIV
• Three (3) regional trainings for people of color living with HIV
• One (1) Train the Trainer (TOT) Session for selected graduates of the regional and national trainings

Partner Organizations

The BLOC project is looking for people of color living with HIV who are dedicated to leading on HIV issues in their communities and willing to serve as a leadership project representative.  For more information contact Linda H. Scruggs at lhscruggs@nmac.org or partner organizations. Project information will be posted at http://www.blochiv.org/.

BLOC Goal

The goal of the BLOC program is to increase the number of Persons of Color Living with HIV who are prepared to engage in leadership roles and activities related to HIV service delivery.

Successful applicants will be asked to identify opportunities to engage and participate meaningfully in decision making bodies and planning boards that service people living with HIV. You will be expected to participate in Monthly webinars, conference calls, attend a three day in person training and to actively engage in your local community to improve health outcomes for people living with HIV.

Within 60 days of completion of the three-day training, you will be expected to engage in the planning process with a local community group severing persons living with HIV. These community groups might be a Ryan White Planning Council, Planning Council Committees, TGA’s Consortiums, Community or Consumer Advisory Board and their committees are all examples of the types of meetings we will be expecting you to participate. Your participation is to ensure persons of color living with HIV are active participants in supporting the planning and decision-making process that impacts their quality of life and health outcomes.

Program Expectations

All participants accepted into the program will be expected to engage fully in the entire program.   Review the following program expectations to ensure you can abide by all the considerations. 

1. Be available and willing to devote a minimum of 3-4 days for on-site trainings during select months, and a minimum of 2 days for other months following training.
2. At the completion of the in-person training, attend and represent the project in local, state and national meetings and events.
3. Be comfortable with disclosing status as a PLWH at the end of the training.
4. Be comfortable learning, networking and working with diverse groups of people of color and others.
5. Be available to travel the day before trainings by plane, train or other transportation as agreed upon by you and the project team.
6. Be willing to do self-guided study and review of lesson plans and information before during and after the trainings.
7. Each participant will engage at least one (1) regional training.
8. Participate in pre-training and post training telecoms and webinars for up to seven-months..
9. Share highlights from the training and distribute using your social media networks.
10. Work with NMAC and Partners in coordination of follow up mentoring and coaching support.
11. Inform the training and project team of changes in your availability once you learn of them.
12. To meet program requirements and to improve our services and offerings, you will be asked to participate in evaluation activities such as brief surveys and/or interviews about your experience in the program.

What’s In It for You?

Selected participants will:

• Learn skills and information important to wellness, leadership and personal/professional development of people of color living with HIV
• Engage in innovative leadership sessions focusing on national public health trends, policies, and directives directly impacting the domestic response to HIV
• Have opportunities to travel, learn and grow
• Become part of a growing national community of people living with HIV (PLHIV) dedicatedto creating better systems and institutions for PLHIV
• Have access to leading national PLHIV coalitions, nonprofit leaders,as well as federal agencies working on behalf of people living with HIV
• Receive coaching and mentoring from seasoned PLHIV leaders; and
• Receive a Certificate of Completion at the end of all onsite trainings.

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under contract number U69HA304700100. This information or content and conclusions are those of the authors and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.