LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
CAMP Safe: Four Years of CAMPSafe |
by Salvatore Seeley |
The summer of 2001 marks the fourth anniversary of the CAMPsafe program. This year is a very special anniversary, as we have reached the "over 60,000 served" mark. The CAMPsafe project was designed to work on HIV prevention issues with Gay/Bi men in Sussex County Delaware and those who come to the resort area.
The CAMPsafe program brings together a variety of interrelated program interventions, including community level, group level, individual level, HIV Testing and Counseling and a social marketing approach that reinforce and build upon one another. The program is based on a variety of theory and research, including the importance of self-determination, the diffusion of new behaviors through social networks, the power of peer-influence, and a need to focus on HIV prevention within the context of issues considered important to gay men. Over the past year, CAMPsafe has moved from a traditional way of looking at HIV prevention towards sex-positive HIV prevention. Sex positive prevention is about emphasizing the value of survival and our role in constructing communities and a future for gay men. However, just as people will come up with very different strategies to stay uninfected, or to not infect others, they will also have very different views about community and about the future. This implies the need to always talk about community and the future in the plural and to integrate our diversity of perspectives in that process. Some men see the further increase of sex with multiple partners, others emphasize intimacy in relationships, some are considering both, and others neither. Sex-positive prevention requires the creation of multiple options. The lesson we should learn from the straight community is that a "normal" message of safe sex imposes one view of community and one view of the future on everybody. If anything, the lesson learned is that being sex-positive requires the creation of new and multiple options. CAMPsafe is very proud of our programs and outreach messages that are geared towards the community. These programs have helped reduce the rate of new HIV infections in our community. However, we still have our challenges. This year has especially been challenging because there has been an influx of new visitors to Rehoboth and resurgence of AIDS among gay men, especially younger men. We have answered a lot of questions about our program and what kind of things we do. Men know us for our postcards and condom distribution, but we are a whole lot more than that! So, to be consumer friendly, here is what the CAMPsafe program offers to men in Sussex County and those who visit Rehoboth. Some of the CAMPsafe program major accomplishments from 1997-2001 are: Safer sex postcards. The popular cards have been a hit since they were created in 1998. We have distributed over 24,000 postcards that have been sent all over the world. Establishment of a business support network. Over 30 local businesses allow us to distribute condoms, educational materials and advertisements in their places of business. CAMPchats. 2001 saw the creation of the CAMPchat program. CAMPchats bring gay/bi men together to discuss general health issues, STDs, safer sex, etc. It is a group level intervention and is hosted in a coffeehouse or private home to provide an alternative to bar socializing for men who need it. CAMPsafe has hosted 3 chats to date and will host 3 more by the end of 2001. Sexual Health Counseling Program. We know that safer sex isn't always easy. Neither is finding a place to talk through questions and feelings about sex. CAMPsafe offers sexual health counseling in a relaxed, non-judgmental and completely confidential environment. Call CAMPsafe to make an appointment. HIV Testing and Counseling. January 2001, we began offering HIV Testing and Counseling services for the MSM community of Rehoboth and the surrounding counties in collaboration with Sussex County AIDS Committee and the Sunrise Project of the Delaware HIV Consortium. A CAMPsafe staff member is available anytime for HIV testing and counseling by appointment. Walk-in hours at SCAC are on Thursdays from 3-6 p.m. Beach House Network. An on-going program involving over 200 beach houses to supply condoms and materials to the beach houses throughout the summer. Summer Outreach. This summer along with the Delaware HIV Consortium's Sunrise Van, CAMPsafe provided HIV Testing/Counseling and Sexual Health Counseling at the Renegade. We passed out over 1,000 condoms and brochures about STDs during these special outreach nights and tested a number of men for HIV. Condom Distribution. In the last 4 years CAMPsafe has made over 60,000 condoms available for MSM in many venues throughout the county. SafeTea Dances. Over the past four years, CAMPsafe has held special safe tea dances at Cloud 9, Blue Moon and Yum Yum. We especially want to thank them for their continued support of our program. CAMPsafe thanks the many supporters and volunteers who have helped us through the last four years. Without your help, we wouldn't have awesome tea dances or enough condom packets stuffed so that we can get them out to the bars! Your help and input into the program has been invaluable! The program is designed by the community and for the community that we seek to serve. Future of CAMPsafe CAMPsafe has submitted a proposal with the State of Delaware for the renewal of our CAMPsafe contract. A Request For Proposal (RFP) occurs at the end of a funding cycle when the State puts all the contracts up for bid. The CAMPsafe staff has spent the last several weeks writing the proposal and submitted it on August 13, 2001. We should know in the next two months if we are going to get the contract. We will keep you posted in upcoming articles. Keep your fingers crossed that we can continue this program for the next four years. CAMPsafe looks forward to being around to provide HIV Prevention Programs for the men of Sussex County and those who visit. There are many exciting changes and additions to the program if we are renewed. We are very proud that we have been able to offer four years of service to gay and bisexual men. The fight to prevent new HIV infections is not over. CAMPsafe will be there to serve the community. Remember, Play Smart, CAMPsafe! Sal Seeley, Program Director of the Gay Men's Health Project of CAMP Rehoboth, may be reached at SalvatoreSeeley@aol.com. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 11, No. 12, August 24, 2001. |