Presenters to include NIH and community health leaders
Monday, September 14, 2020

MORGANTOWN, W.VA.: Great strides have been made in recent years in the field of HIV and AIDS prevention and research. On September 29, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. national and community health leaders will be leading a virtual discussion on these advances and challenges that remain in West Virginia communities.

This virtual event will be divided into two segments. The first segment will begin at 11 a.m. and will feature a keynote address by Maureen Goodenow, PhD, who serves as the associate director of AIDS research and the director of the National Institute of AIDS Research. Goodenow will be followed by Ming Lei, PhD, who serves as director of the Division of Research for Capacity Building at the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. Following their remarks, a panel of West Virginia health leaders will weigh in on current research efforts and how they directly affect the Mountain State. In addition to Goodenow and Lei, Judith Feinberg, professor and vice chair of research with the West Virginia University School of Medicine will serve on the panel, with additional panelists to be announced. Attendees will be able to ask questions of the panelists.

At noon, the discussion will turn towards community efforts, led by a panel of health department and community experts who work daily to educate and treat West Virginians with HIV. Confirmed panelists include: Terrence Reidy, MD, MPH, health officer, Berkeley/Morgan and Jefferson Counties Health Departments, Michael Kilkenny, MD, physician director, Cabell Huntington Health Department and Laura Jones, MSW, executive director of Milan Puskar HealthRight. More panelists will be added as they are confirmed.

This event is the first installment of the West Virginia Clinical and Translational Science Institute’s “In Focus” series, which will center around specific health topics in fall 2020. The first session will be hosted in partnership with the Community Education Group, an organization working to foster community engagement in community-based research programs while giving a voice to people whose lives are directly affected by HIV/AIDS and other health crises.

This event is free and open to the public, particularly those involved in clinical care and HIV and AIDS research.

Attendees must RSVP at the event webpage. A link to the ZOOM webinar will be shared one week prior to the event.

#CEGInWV has partnered with 18 organizations across West Virginia to distribute 2,000 COVID-19 Relief Packages.

These packages will include a backpack filled with hand sanitizer, face masks, an educational infographic and resource guide, and a $5 Kroger gift card to purchase water.

The call for supplies was so great, we had to quadruple our initial order of 500 backpacks and 1,000 masks, request an additional 1,500 backpacks and 3,000 masks.

Because of the need for more supplies, we are currently awaiting that second order of backpacks and masks.

Distribution will begin in October 2020.

In just two weeks, we secured an unprecedented 18 distribution partners for our COVID-19 Relief Packages.

You can find a list of our distribution partners, below, as well as links to their respective websites.

In 2007, the West Virginia legislature passed a moratorium (§16-5Y-12) on the opening of new Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs) that offer Methadone for use in Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT).

Since the passage of (§16-5Y-12), West Virginia’s opioid addiction crisis has raged out of control, leaving with the highest rate of Drug Overdose Deaths, the highest rate of new Hepatitis A infections, the highest rate of new Hepatitis B infections, and the second-highest rate of new Hepatitis C infections in the United States in 2018. In addition, Injection Drug Use (IDU) of both opioids, and stimulants accounted for 91 (62.3%) of the 146 new HIV infections in West Virginia in 2019.

#CEGInWV is asking providers, Community-Based Organizations, and individuals about the OTP Moratorium.

Please fill out the survey using the embedded form, below. If your device does not display the form, please click on the button to be redirected to a website version.

National Rural Health Service Providers COVID-19 Resources Survey

Help us understand the resource needs of RHSPs

Cardea, Community Education Group, and TruEvolution are partnering to learn how COVID-19 is impacting Rural Health Services Providers (RHSPs) so they can better facilitate conversations with policymakers and advocate to expand access to resources to support client care.

RHSPs are a vital component of American public health infrastructure that often serve as entry points into care for populations that may not otherwise engage in health or social services. RHSPs provide healthcare-related services in rural counties, as designated by the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA), or rural census tracts in urban counties. RHSP is a broadly defined term, and they can be:

• Public or private
• Non-profit or for-profit organizations and corporations
• Faith-based or community-based
• Located in rural, suburban, or urban areas

Despite the critical services they provide, they do not meet any existing federal designations designations set forth by the HRSA, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and/or any other federal entity.

Do you operate an RHSP? Please consider participating in this 10-minute, voluntary, and confidential survey to share your experiences. Findings from this survey will be summarized in a brief report and will inform planning and policy conversations. This survey will close on September 7, 2020.

This survey will ask whether your organization has received several different types of resources to support COVID-19 response. The CARES Act created a couple of different pools of funds that health care providers might be able to access. For example, the CARES act Provider Relief Fund enables CMS to distribute federal funds to health providers in response to COVID-19. The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which has received wide media coverage, was also established by the CARES Act and provides small businesses with funds to pay up to 8 weeks of payroll costs including benefits. PPP funds can also be used to pay interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities. Several state and local governments as well as community foundations have also provided funding to service providers to respond to COVID-19.

If you would like to participate in this survey, please click the ‘Next’ button below.

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The second Color Matters webinar – Incarceration – Beyond These Walls – will premiere on August 19th, 2020, at 6:00 PM Eastern.

This conversation will be moderated by Nikole Parker (Director of Special Projects, Equality Florida).

She will be joined by Navon Stephens (Trans Community Voice), Angela Hunt (Educator, Heart and Hands), and Omega Chuckii (Founder, Tranz of Anarchii, Inc.).

About the Guests

Nikole Parker is the TransAction Florida Project Coordinator, assisting with Equality Florida’s statewide Transgender Inclusion Initiative. She also currently works for the onePULSE Foundation as the Stakeholder & Community Relations Manager.

Nikole has sat on various non-profit boards within the community, including the LGBT+ Center Board of Directors, the Orlando United Assistance Center Advisory Board, TransAction Advisory Council, Spektrum Health Board of Directors and Peer Support Space Board of Directors.

In addition to her work with the onePULSE Foundation, Nikole co-leads the work of the Orlando Trans Collective, a collaborative group of transgender and gender non-conforming leaders of color who focus on community building and advocacy efforts for the Central Florida transgender community.

In 2018, Nikole was honored with the Humanitarian of the Year award by the Miss Glamorous Pageant. Nikole was also was recognized as one of Watermark’s Most Remarkable People of 2018 for her work with the onePULSE Foundation and her ongoing advocacy and empowerment of the transgender community.

In 2019, Nikole was recognized by Congressman Darren Soto for LGBT+ Pride Month and her biography was read into the Congressional Record. She hopes to encourage open dialogue on transgender issues and educate individuals from the community on healthy and safe ways to undergo a transition, finding self-care practices and providing resources so black market hormones and unsafe lifestyles can be avoided.

My name is Tai’Rance S Kelly Sr. B.K.A Omega Chuckii a native of “Chilanta” which is a cross of Chicago & Atlanta. I’m an educator, father, trainer, facilitator, empowerer activist, advocate & creator of my own organization, Tranz of Anarchii, Inc.

The goal is to detoxify the overall spectrum of MASCULINITY within both the trans and cis-gendered communities by healing, empowering, and bringing awareness to related issues; such as behavioral, mental, physical, parental, sexual, spiritual, and financial health. Tranz of Anarchii Inc. is also here to educate the African American community about rehabilitation and to protect our society by providing community residential services to residents prior to and after their discharge from incarceration. The primary goals are to develop self-discipline and promote skills required for continued rehabilitation, transitional initiatives, and positive re-entry into the community.

Angela Hunt is a public speaker and educator on wellness and health for the trans community. She brings experience in managing customer service teams, volunteer recruitment, and event coordination.

Angela volunteers as a peer mentor to transgender women in Orlando, FL, connecting them to services and providing social and emotional support as well as inspiration.

She served on the executive host committee for the 2018 U.S. Conference on AIDS and co-organized and co-chaired the Trans Lounge for the conference.

As a survivor of the foster care system, Angela went through a transformative journey to discover and reconnect with her own identity. She is known for being an excellent listener and is passionate about self love and wellness for transgender people, especially those living with HIV.

As a Black transgender woman diagnosed with HIV herself in 2011, Angela wants others to know that anything is possible once you accept and love yourself completely for who you are.

#CEGInWV is in the process of preparing #COVID19 Relief Packages for distribution to West Virginia residents across the state.

These packages will be backpacks containing face masks, hand sanitizer, personal hygiene supplies, educational materials on COVID-19, #HIV, and #ViralHepatitis testing, a localized resource guide (relative to the distribution points), and a gift card for purchasing food.

In just two weeks, we have secured an unprecedented 18 distribution partners for our COVID-19 Relief Packages.

We had initially planned on distributing only 500 packages, but ultimately received requests for 1,535.

As such, we have ordered a second round of supplies to put together a second round of distribution.

Round One will begin sometime in mid- to late-September, depending upon how quickly supplies arrive to put together the packages.

You can find a list of our distribution partners, below, as well as links to their respective websites.

CEG has launched a statewide survey for providers and People Who Use/Inject Drugs (PWUD/PWID, respectively) focusing on West Virginia’s 2007 legislative moratorium on opening any new Opioid Treatment Programs in the state.

In 2007, the West Virginia state legislature enacted a legislative moratorium (§16-5Y-12) on the opening of new Opioid Treatment Programs (OTP), halting in place the number of programs that prescribe and dispense Methadone for use in Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) to treat Opioid Use Disorder (OUD).

This moratorium limited the number of OTPs in the state to only 9 sites, statewide, who can legally provide MAT services using Methadone. It also prevents these facilities from opening secondary satellite locations, essentially locking in place where people can seek inpatient or outpatient MAT services using Methadone.

Since the passage of (§16-5Y-12), West Virginia’s opioid addiction crisis has raged out of control, leaving with the highest rate of Drug Overdose Deaths, the highest rate of new Hepatitis A infections, the highest rate of new Hepatitis B infections, and the second-highest rate of new Hepatitis C infections in the United States in 2018. In addition, Injection Drug Use (IDU) of both opioids, and stimulants accounted for 91 (62.3%) of the 146 new HIV infections in West Virginia in 2019.

The survey will gauge awareness of West Virginia’s 2007 Moratorium on the expansion of existing or opening of new Opioid Treatment Programs, as well as attitudes related to West Virginia’s Opioid Addiction Crisis. There are also sections related to Substance Use Disorder (SUD), SUD/OUD Treatment Provision, and the provision of other services that are inextricably linked to West Virginia’s opioid addiction crisis.

This survey takes between 5-30 minutes to complete, depending on how many questions pertain to the person taking this survey. Not every person surveyed will be required to answer every question.

To participate in our survey, either fill out the form, embedded below, or click on the button. Please note: the form scrolls within the page.

The first Color Matters webinar – Law Enforcement Interactions – will premiere on July 22, 2020, at 6:00 PM Eastern.

The first conversation will be moderated by Nikole Parker (Director of Special Projects, Equality Florida).

She will be joined by Captain James Young (Deputy Chief, Orlando Police Department), Aryah Lester (Deputy Director, Transgender Strategy Center), Ty Williams (Project Coordinator, Community Education Group), and Chanel Haley (Gender Policy Manager, Georgia Equality, Inc.).

Those interested may register for the first webinar may do so by visiting the event registration page.

About the Guests

Nikole Parker is the TransAction Florida Project Coordinator, assisting with Equality Florida’s statewide Transgender Inclusion Initiative. She also currently works for the onePULSE Foundation as the Stakeholder & Community Relations Manager.

Nikole has sat on various non-profit boards within the community, including the LGBT+ Center Board of Directors, the Orlando United Assistance Center Advisory Board, TransAction Advisory Council, Spektrum Health Board of Directors and Peer Support Space Board of Directors.

In addition to her work with the onePULSE Foundation, Nikole co-leads the work of the Orlando Trans Collective, a collaborative group of transgender and gender non-conforming leaders of color who focus on community building and advocacy efforts for the Central Florida transgender community.

In 2018, Nikole was honored with the Humanitarian of the Year award by the Miss Glamorous Pageant. Nikole was also was recognized as one of Watermark’s Most Remarkable People of 2018 for her work with the onePULSE Foundation and her ongoing advocacy and empowerment of the transgender community.

In 2019, Nikole was recognized by Congressman Darren Soto for LGBT+ Pride Month and her biography was read into the Congressional Record. She hopes to encourage open dialogue on transgender issues and educate individuals from the community on healthy and safe ways to undergo a transition, finding self-care practices and providing resources so black market hormones and unsafe lifestyles can be avoided.

James “Jim” Young has been working in law enforcement for 30 years. He Grew up in northern Ohio, and upon completing High School, he entered the U.S. Air Force at age 17. He worked in the Security Police field and served tours within the U.S., Central America and the Middle East. He was honorably discharged in 1990. He joined the City of Pinellas Park Police Department in 1990 where he served in patrol, criminal investigations, undercover drug unit, gang unit, SWAT and as special assignment in Chief’s staff. Jim Young earned Officer of the Year in 1996 while completing his Bachelor’s Degree in criminology at St. Leo University, graduating Magna Cum Laude. He left (PPPD) at the end of 1996 to continue a full-time education in law. He was also named St. Leo’s Citizen of the Year in 1995 for his work with non-profits and within minority and underserved neighborhoods, always trying to help others.

He returned to law enforcement in 1997 by joining the Orlando Police Department. In his first several years he worked in various sections of patrol, FTO, ASL, special operations and crime prevention. He was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 2010, and has served as a patrol supervisor, Mounted Patrol Supervisor and Media Relations Supervisor. He also served on the FDLE Training/Standards Commission for recruit curriculum and state testing. In 2014, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. He served as a patrol watch commander, Special Patrol Section Commander, Traffic Enforcement Section Commander and Staff Director for the Chief of Police. He also served as the awards committee chair. In 2018, he was promoted to Captain. He served as the East Patrol Division Commander, and the Community Relations Division Commander. He also served as the agency’s alternate Labor Advisor and the co-chair for the Strategic Planning Committee.

Jim has received many department awards and recognitions over the years, including serval commendations and a lifesaving award.
He served in every position in various ranks on the Crisis/Hostage Negotiation Team, from Negotiator, Team Leader, Deputy Team Commander and Team Commander over an 18+ years on CNT.

Young also served as the departments lead LGBT Liaison from 2014-2017, helping to launch the Safe Place Program. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Harvey Milk Foundation for his many years work to help ensure equality for everyone.

Jim Young is an instructor in several fields of expertise. He has instructed here at OPD and other local agencies, in addition to Nationally and Internationally. He continues to work closely with the US Department of Justice Community Resource Section on national law enforcement training programs in Diversity and Inclusion. In addition, he assists the International Dignitary Visitor programs through the US State Department.

He also served as his neighborhood association vice president for more than 15 years. Jim often volunteers with many community organizations and has served on many bards. Jim is married to his husband Chaz Butler, and they have 2 dogs. The continue to live within the City Limits, and Jim has done so since working for OPD.

Aryah Lester, nationally awarded author, as well as a speaker and educator, is a black woman of transgender experience from New York living in Washington DC. Ms. Lester was the last-standing 2-term Chair for the State of Florida Health Department’s Transgender Work Group, former Chair-Elect of the Miami-Dade HIV/AIDS Partnership, and is an Advisory Board member of Unity Coalition (UC|CU).

Ms. Lester is a board member of Equality Florida’s TransAction Florida committee, and helped to create the TransArt series with the Betsy Hotel, the LGBT Visitors Center, and UC|CU. She also sat as a member on the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD) Transgender Networking Group. Ms. Lester is also Board Chair of STARR, the nation’s first transgender organization initially founded by Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson, and Advisory Board Member for Gilead Sciences, The Well Project, and ViiV Healthcare.

Aryah Lester founded the organization Trans-Miami during her time as a expert consult member of the Miami Enhanced Comprehensive HIV Prevention Plan for the National HIV/AIDS Strategy and 12-Cities Project, as well as continued the work of her organization, the National Alliance of Transgender Advocates and Leaders (NATAL). She contracts with universities as a guest lecturer, and is a consultant with government agencies such as the Department of Justice and Homeland Security. Ms. Lester has been recognized with many awards, featured in numerous national articles, and recently was inducted into the national Trans100 list.

She currently works as Deputy Director of the Transgender Strategy Center.

Ty Williams has been with CEG since March 2020, and serves as our Project Coordinator for our People Worth Knowing video series, and will be spearheading CEG’s forthcoming Trans Health series.

Ty recently serve as the Host and Moderator for CEG’s first ever YouTube Live event, Learning Our Roots: A Journey Through Transmasculinity, on Tuesday, June 30th, 2020 at 6:00 PM Eastern.

In addition to his work at CEG, Ty also serves as the Director of Operations at FLUX and on the Leadership Council at Black Transmen, Inc., and is also a brother of the Alpha Omega Kappa Incorporated fraternity, a fraternity for Transmasculine and Transmen.

Ty’s first blog post – Trans People Are Black People, Too – debuted, in June 2020, over at CEG’s Community Perspectives blog, where he will be regularly featured as one of our bloggers.

Ty is a Trans rights activist, motivational speaker, advocacy educator, organizer, chef, and violist.

Chanel Haley started volunteering with various non-profit organizations trying to advance the rights for the LGBT community in 2005.

In 2008 Chanel took a crash course in political campaign training. That training was immediately used in helping to elect the nation’s first African-American OUT lesbian elected to a general assembly, Simone Bell. Chanel became the weekend volunteer coordinator for that campaign, and later office manager and volunteer coordinator for future campaigns. Later, during 2010-2014 the Senior Legislative Aide to Georgia State Representative Simone Bell.

Chanel became the first African-American Transgender person hired by the Georgia House of Representatives assigned to four Republicans and three Democrats. In 2014, Chanel Haley was appointed to the City of Atlanta Human Relations Commission by Atlanta City Council President Ceasar Mitchell. Later to be elected Chairperson in 2016-2018. Making her the first Trans-person to chair any City of Atlanta constituted board. The Human Relations Commission is the governing board for Atlanta’s nondiscrimination ordinance. Her position with the commission gave Chanel the authority with facilitating Trans* Humility Training at all the homeless shelters within Atlanta city limits. And is co-author of the S.L.E.E.P. training manual for the City of Atlanta. Chanel is currently on the City Of Atlanta’s HOPWA Advisory Committee and is a certified Out & Equal Workplace Advocate Trainer. As well as the secretary of Georgia’s State Advisory Board to the United States Commission on Civil Rights. 2017-2018 Fulton County Democrat Post Seat Holder At-Large. She is a 2018 Delegate to the State Democrat Convention[i]. In 2017, Chanel Haley became the first Trans-person to be listed in Real Times Media “Who’s Who in Black Atlanta” 17th edition. Chanel is a 2018 graduate of the City of Atlanta Citizens Police Academy conducted by the Atlanta Police Department.

As the Gender Policy Manager for Equality Foundation of Georgia, Chanel leads efforts that ensure nondiscrimination legislation and policies in the broad areas of employment, housing, public accommodations, law enforcement, safe schools, access to health care, education and voter registration access is inclusive of transgender and gender variant individuals and communities. She helps to build relationships with businesses and corporate environments that may have little or no LGBT background and experiences throughout the state of Georgia. And works with Elected Official’s and policymakers locally and statewide. At request, Chanel Haley does speaking engagements all over the state and nation. With appearances at 11 universities on 16 campuses, including Yale University. Chanel facilitates “Trans* 101 “Humility” Trainings by request custom for any type of organization. In 2018 Chanel designed a 1 year Leadership Academy cohort of Transmen and Transwomen. Where they learned: to effectively communicate about the transgender community, acquire confidence in public speaking, coalition building, civic engagement, policy fundamentals, gain a proficient understanding of government and how to communicate with elected officials. At the end of the 1 year class, the 14 participants are now able to apply their newly acquired skills to any career field. A new cohort started in 2019.

To register for this event, please click on the registration button and be sure to join us on Wednesday, July 22nd, 2020 @ 6:00 PM for Color Matters: Law Enforcement Interactions

Dr. Benjamin is known as one of the nation’s most influential physician leaders because he speaks passionately and eloquently about the health issues having the most impact on our nation today. From his firsthand experience as a physician, he knows what happens when preventive care is not available and when the healthy choice is not the easy choice. As executive director of the APHA since 2002, he is leading the Association’s push to make America the healthiest nation in one generation.

He came to APHA from his position as secretary of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Dr. Benjamin became secretary of health in Maryland in April 1999, following four years as its deputy secretary for public health services. As secretary, Dr. Benjamin oversaw the expansion and improvement of the state’s Medicaid program.

Dr. Benjamin, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, is a graduate of the Illinois Institute of Technology and the University of Illinois College of Medicine. He is board-certified in internal medicine and a fellow of the American College of Physicians, a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, a fellow emeritus of the American College of Emergency Physicians and an honorary fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health.

An established administrator, author and orator, Dr. Benjamin started his medical career in 1981 in Tacoma, WA, where he managed a 72,000-patient visit ambulatory care service as chief of the Acute Illness Clinic at the Madigan Army Medical Center and was an attending physician within the Department of Emergency Medicine. A few years later, he moved to Washington, D.C., where he served as chief of emergency medicine at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. After leaving the Army, he chaired the Department of Community Health and Ambulatory Care at the District of Columbia General Hospital. He was promoted to acting commissioner for public health for the District of Columbia and later directed one of the busiest ambulance services in the nation as interim director of the Emergency Ambulance Bureau of the District of Columbia Fire Department.

At APHA, Dr. Benjamin also serves as publisher of the nonprofit’s monthly publication, The Nation’s Health, the association’s official newspaper, and the American Journal of Public Health, the profession’s premier scientific publication. He is the author of more than 100 scientific articles and book chapters. His recent book The Quest for Health Reform: A Satirical History is an exposé of the nearly 100-year quest to ensure quality affordable health coverage for all through the use of political cartoons.

Dr. Benjamin is a member of the National Academy of Medicine (Formally the Institute of Medicine) of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine and also serves on the boards for many organizations including Research!America and the Reagan-Udall Foundation. In 2008, 2014 and 2016 he was named one of the top 25 minority executives in health care by Modern Healthcare Magazine, in addition to being voted among the 100 most influential people in health care from 2007-2017.

In April 2016, President Obama appointed Dr. Benjamin to the National Infrastructure Advisory Council, a council that advises the president on how best to assure the security of the nation’s critical infrastructure.

You can visit APHA’s website by clicking on the logo, below, and links to their various social media pages will be listed below.

By: Ty Williams

#CEGLive hosted its first livestream on Tuesday, June 30th, 2020, and while it was not without its technical difficulties, we eventually ended up with a fantastic panel discussion.

While we had initially planned to livestream the event on YouTube Live, we ran into an issue and had to switch over to Facebook Live, where we picked up the conversation from the beginning, which is where this recording begins.

Thank you, to everyone who was able to attend and participate in the panel, and we apologize for any inconvenience our tech issues caused. Please be sure to check out our YouTube Channel (here), like the video, and subscribe to our channel.

CEG is a national organization that offers local programs and policy solutions.

We serving diverse populations, prioritizing indigenous populations and populations in need

CEG’s work includes Direct Service programs, Policy work, and Capacity Building