HIV/AIDS Board Seeks New Members

Posted by on January 20, 2009

The Philadelphia Community Planning Group (CPG) is looking for new members who possess the necessary knowledge, expertise, and dedication to be an outstanding member of the planning body.  A member has the opportunity to represent the community in the decision-making related to HIV prevention services, namely, setting priorities for populations and interventions in the Philadelphia region. Participation on the planning body provides an opportunity to utilize experience in a way that impacts the delivery of HIV prevention services in the community.

I am contacting you because currently the CPG is lacking the following representation, and you or someone you know may be qualified:

African American/Black
Faith Based Community
Governmental Education Agency
Intravenous Drug User (IDU)
Male
Men who have sex with men
Mother with or at risk for HIV infection
Non HIV Prevention Provider, but a non-governmental provider of related services (such as STD, substance abuse, mental health, corrections)
Other Governmental Agency (such as STD, substance abuse, mental health, corrections)

The Philadelphia CPG is an advisory body – consisting of volunteers from prevention agencies and the community – that helps to inform relevant national, state, and local offices about the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Philadelphia. The CPG is extremely important to HIV prevention activities in Philadelphia because the group drives a great deal of the necessary planning.

The primary responsibilities of the Philadelphia CPG include guiding the allocations of prevention funds by recommending percentages of total funding to serve each of the various prioritized populations. The CPG also makes recommendations related to prioritized interventions and develops the city’s prevention planning documents, which are submitted as a part of the city’s grant application to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

During the last planning year, the CPG specifically worked on improving prevention efforts for people living with HIV/AIDS and worked closely with the city’s AIDS Activities Coordinating Office (AACO) to explore rapid testing.

If selected, an individual could participate and contribute to all the planning and advisory activities of the CPG. Please be aware, however, that membership on the CPG requires the commitment of approximately four hours a month — two hours to attend the CPG meeting and two hours to serve on a CPG sub-committee.

If you have any further questions about the CPG or the application please do not hesitate to contact Ms. Mari Ross-Russell, Director, Office of HIV Planning at 215-574-6760. You can also find more information, including meeting minutes and a meeting calendar at http://www.hivphilly.org. The CPG membership application can be found here:

http://www.hivphilly.org/CPG%20Appication%20revised%20September%202007.pdf