Bay Windows - Local News, June 29, 2000
Beth Berlo, Bay Windows staff

While its membership continues to swell, and its population diversifies, the BLCÆs needs have grown increasingly diverse. As a result, new programs for four very different groups of HIV positive people have been added to the largest member-led HIV/AIDS support organization in New England. Among the groups are those having problems with their medical care, people who are homeless, members who are now well enough to go back to work, and parents.

In collaboration with the AIDS Housing Corporation and Latino Health Institute and Services, the HomeStead program was recently installed. According to David Hough, BLCÆs external relations manager, workers began noticing a growing number of people hanging around mornings in front of the center waiting for it to open. Because the people waiting were inconspicuous in appearance, employees didnÆt initially realize they were homeless. Recognizing a need to serve yet another growing population, the center created the program, which Hough describes as one that ôdeals with the homeless or precariously housed ù people who donÆt have secure housing and on top of that are living with HIV and addiction.ö

To accommodate the homeless, the center now opens at 8 a.m. for breakfast and what organizers call ôcritical morning support,ö which includes substance abuse counseling, mental health counseling, GED preparation and relapse prevention services.

With more than 25 percent of BLCÆs membership now comprising women, a womenÆs outreach coordinator has also recently been added to the staff. Beth Hastie, a longtime HIV/AIDS activist in Boston, began her position at the beginning of April. Since then, Hastie has coordinated several social events for women members and instituted a child care committee. As part of the expansion, a new respite child care room was added in the new building so that members who are parents could have their kids watched for a few hours while they get a massage, have a meal or attend a workshop. Beginning in August, the center will hold a womenÆs dinner once a month.

While people with HIV often face significant obstacles with medical care, the BLC estimates that 30 percent are not in adequate ongoing care. In response, the center added the Treatment Information Program (TIP), a collaboration between the BLC and Partners AIDS Research Center.

TIP was created to assist members who are facing the burden of increasingly complex drug regimens that often cause severe side effects. It provides individualized education, assistance with strategies to maintain complicated medication schedules, symptom management information, and referral to primary care providers and clinical research trials.

Sheila Davis, a nurse practitioner who splits her time between the center and Massachusetts General Hospital, offers one-on-one counseling in a relaxed ônon-clinicalö atmosphere. ôSo often, you get 11 minutes or three questions with your provider,ö Davis said. ôBut you canÆt always do it all in 11 minutes.ö At TIP, people can obtain more thorough answers to HIV-related questions, receive a massage or be transported to a hospital if the staff sees it necessary. TIP, Davis summarized, ôis the melding of medical and non-medical services.ö Davis is at BLC Mondays and Wednesdays and sees between eight and ten people each day, she said.

Also housed in the new building, Statscript Pharmacy moved into the first floor at the beginning of the year. Unlike most pharmacies, Statscript recognizes the needs of privacy many members require, and offers consulting rooms where people can learn about their medications or discuss side effects with a pharmacist without yelling over a counter. In addition, the room extends warmth and hospitality. The pharmacyÆs waiting area, like most of the building, is decorated with artwork by BLC members. Chris Casale, managing pharmacist, said there are currently plans for six more branches of Statscript to open across New England.

To gain access to more than 50 free programs in the context of an exceptionally welcoming, safe, drug-free, confidential and culturally diverse environment, the only criterion for membership at the center is verification of HIV-positive status.

ôDespite all the advances and breakthroughs, people with HIV still need a place to connect with other people living with the virus, to share and relate,ö said Cathy Morales, BLCÆs newly named executive director. Morales was deputy director of the organization until Leah Camhi recently resigned.

The largest population testing positive for HIV, organizers say, are heterosexual females and the Hispanic community. Gay men make up 40 to 50 percent of BLCÆs members, and as a result the demands have changed.

Other programs and events critical to the HIV population and which BLC offers include: dinner programs, nutritional consultations, legal counseling, credit repair counseling, haircuts, film viewings, art classes, education workshops and discussion groups.

Another room, called Planet Information, houses 10 new computers. Lyn McLaughlin volunteers her time teaching BLC members Microsoft Word, and how to use the Internet. Most importantly she said, is that people learn how to navigate around the Web to access current HIV and AIDS information.

As the meals program manager, Michael Bacon has a challenging job in that he must keep in constant communication with members and cater to their dietary needs. ôI sit down with members every day of the week,ö he said. Different groups attend different nights. He offered one example: ôWe do a soul-food dinner for the African-American community.ö In addition, a juice bar with high protein drinks is both popular and critical, as the disease often leads to muscle wasting.

Founded in 1989, the Boston Living Center has come a long way since the days it was housed in the YWCA using 2,000 square feet, to todayÆs multi-building, meticulously manicured home on Stanhope Street.

As a disease, HIV can be isolating, Morales said. ôThe Boston Living Center brings a sense of belonging. What weÆve tried to do is create a one-stop shopping where people can come participate, and access information. They come here and regain their sense of self. The most rewarding aspect is seeing the positive impact that we have on peopleÆs lives.ö
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