Funding Rescissions and Preparing for AIDS Awareness Day

You may have read or heard about the recent rescissions, some of which will effect AIDS Services (primarily prevention funds) and Syringe Exchange. These cuts could have serious implications for the programs especially given that the CDC funding for prevention was cut significantly, and Congress reinstituted the ban on the use of federal funds for syringe exchange. The cuts seem to be about 5% from each program. DPH is working on a plan to determine how they will be dealing with the cuts and what programs need to know.

Needle and Syringe Exchange: $22,753
AIDS Services $240,014
School Based Health Clinics: $522,032

Fortunately, there were no cuts to the Housing Homeless line item in DSS which is where the AIDS housing funding is.

At the AIDS LIFE Campaign meeting, we discussed AIDS Awareness Day and how to maximize our presence at the Capitol this year. We came up with a two-step approach.

1. AIDS Awareness Day will be held on Thursday, April 26 at 10 AM. The format will be the same as in the past. Shawn will be sending out an email to solicit donations from agencies to defray the cost of T-shirts and boxed lunches.
   
   So MARK YOUR CALENDARS!! As this date gets closer, Shawn will be sending out what the roles and responsibilities of the local coordinators are.
2. We are requesting that you hold a legislative breakfast at your agency or in your area if there are multiple AIDS Service Organizations or Community Based Organizations that serve people with HIV/AIDS. We are asking that you schedule these sometime during the weeks of April 9 - 20. If you are in an area with multiple organizations, pull together a planning committee to make this happen.
   
   All of our funding is vulnerable to being cut further, nothing is safe!! It is essential that each of you develop a personal relationship with your legislators. It is THE ONLY way that they will have a frame of reference and a reason to protect funding for HIV/AIDS services and funding. Even if you know your legislators well, have a legislative breakfast!! We will need everyone to be on board, and for our Senators and Representatives to have a solid understanding of HIV/AIDS in CT, what your programs provide and who your clients are. We suggest a legislative breakfast because it's MUCH easier to get them on their way to work or to the capitol than to try something mid-day or in the evenings once the session begins (Feb. 8).
   
   The main reason for setting these up prior to AAD is that you will have made contact with them, so that on AAD, they will know who you are and be MUCH more likely to come and meet with you if you've made an appointment or come out of session.
   
   Shawn is on hand to help you organize these and prepare your staff and clients for AAD. She can offer you a number of things:
1. Provide you with a list of your legislators and their contact information (when you call them, make sure to write down the name of their aide. That person is the gatekeeper for information and scheduling)
2. Come to your agency/area and provide a workshop on advocacy and how to talk with legislators.
3. Provide you with a fact sheet about our legislative agenda.
4. Talk you through ideas on format and content.
5. Attend the breakfast, if you want and if possible.

It's not too early to start planning these. Legislators' calendars fill up VERY QUICKLY, so it will be important to pick a date now, and get the invitations out ASAP. Contact Shawn Lang for any assistance you need.

About the AIDS LIFE Campaign (ALC)

The AIDS LIFE (Legislative Initiative and Funding Effort) Campaign - a program of the CT AIDS Resource Coalition - is Connecticut's only statewide group that focuses solely on all of the policy-related issues impacting people living with and at high risk for HIV/AIDS - from prevention and education, including needle exchange; to supportive services; to health care, such as Medicaid and CADAP; to housing.

In addition to our advocacy work at the legislature, members of the AIDS LIFE Campaign convene meetings with key state departments such as the Department of Public Health and the Department of Social Services to work with them on a whole host of issues ranging from contracts and timely payments, CADAP, Medicaid changes (e.g. prescription and provider visit co-pays), as well as federal issues such as the HOPWA (Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS) housing program, Ryan White funds, and other pertinent topics that arise.