GEORGIA: Positive Impact Adds HIV Testing, Substance Abuse Program

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2008. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

GEORGIA: Positive Impact Adds HIV Testing, Substance Abuse Program

Southern Voice (Atlanta) (12.05.08) - Monday, December 15, 2008
Laura Douglas-Brown

On Dec. 1, Positive Impact learned it was awarded a CDC grant to run the Counseling, Testing & Referral Center (CTRC). The testing program's previous operator, AIDS Survival Project, said it will close at the end of the year. ASP and Positive Impact share the building at 139 Ralph McGill Blvd., and the program will continue operations without disruption.

"If we had to close, it would have been difficult for our clients to find other locations to get tested," said Kevin English, who led the testing program under ASP and who will remain in the position with Positive Impact. CTRC is centrally located in downtown Atlanta and is accessible by mass transportation, he noted.

CTRC is funded through the end of June 2010. About 200 people on average seek testing each month at the center, and about 3- 5 percent test HIV-positive - a much higher rate than at public health departments, said English.

Positive Impact, which offers mental health services to people with HIV and their partners, had earlier announced it is also expanding services to cover substance abuse-related support groups and counseling. About one-third of Positive Impact clients are also dealing with substance dependence issues, so the program was a natural extension, said Gwen Davies, the agency's clinical director. This will also help fill the void left after Our Common Welfare closed earlier this year.

"The community needed these programs, the clients needed these programs, so we couldn't just let them go," said Paul Plate, Positive Impact's executive director.
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