Department
Targeted Interventions
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| Invanhoe Cruickshank, Director of Targeted Interventions |
Purpose
Targeted Interventions (TI) is responsible for reaching minority groups to provide them with specific assistance like one-on-one counseling, HIV/AIDS testing, condom distribution and emergency services and referrals. These groups include:
- Sex Workers (SW)
- Gay Lesbian and Bi-sexual Community (GLABCOM)
- Hearing Impaired
- Correctional Services
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Additionally, JAS engages in human rights advocacy campaigns and debates on behalf of and with these groups on the premise that they are all entitled to the basic human rights guaranteed to every individual. As a result, this department has earned the reputation of being a research and documentation centre on human rights matters associated with these groups.
Of international note are the works done by Dr. Heather Royes and Dr. Robert Carr. The most recent piece of research was conducted by School of International Training (SIT) student Amy Wolf. Keep visiting this site for access to her paper.
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| Dr. Heather Royes |
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Staff
The Department has Chapters in Kingston, Montego Bay, Ocho Rios and Manchester. The Director, Mr. Ivanhoe Cruickshank is based at the Kingston Chapter. Mr.
Tashawn Cai Tonge, who is the TI Coordinator of Kingston, is responsible for the GLABCOM programme in Kingston and Manchester. Mrs. Yvonne Artis is the Youth Outreach Officer in Kingston and Mr. Donnovan Leslie is the Outreach Officer to the Hearing Impaired Community.
Mr. Linford Cunningham is the Coordinator of Targeted Interventions in Ocho Rios. He supervises Miss. Faybeyon Hutton who is the TI Outreach Officer for that Chapter.
Miss. Jalna Broderick is the TI Coordinator of the JAS Montego Bay Chapter. She supervises Mr. Leroy Thompson who is the TI Outreach Officer for that Chapter.
TI is sponsored by the Ministry of Health through the Global Fund and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The free distribution of condoms is facilitated by the USAID, the Ministry of Health, Gay Men of African Descent, the Minority Task Force on AIDS, and other partners in the US. Condom packages are provided by the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC).
Activities
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| An exotic dancer strikes a seductive pose for our cameras |
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Sex Workers (SWs)
This initiative is operational in all three Chapters, targeting persons who engage in transactional sex as well as those who sell sex for money. This includes go-go dancers, massage parlor workers and “beach boys” who operate in the Montego Bay and Ocho Rios areas.
The programme is designed to educate members of those groups about condom use, safer sex practices and to impart self-development skills. Information is also given about STIs and HIV/AIDS. The initiative is carried out on the street corners and in the go-go clubs/massage parlors at least once every week in different areas in the cities we serve.
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| Shirley James of MayClaire Corporation show sex workers how to insert the
female condom. |
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| Sex workers in Ocho Rios eroticise the use of a condom |
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| Training the mind & body through Sport |
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| Proper condom use is a key component to prevention |
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GLABCOM
The GLABCOM programme (Kingston, Ocho Rios, Montego Bay and Manchester) was developed to educate the Gay, Lesbian and Bi-sexual Communities about the pertinent issues affecting them. GLABCOM activities are managed by Steering Committees that meet twice a month to plan events. The major and oldest interventions are the bi-monthly support group meetings that address topics such as Violence, Discrimination, Sexuality and Spirituality, etc.
JAS uses a number of creative methods to get the message of HIV/AIDS awareness and safer sex across to this community, including entertainment shows and adolescent-geared programmes. |
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| Dr. Tina Hilton-Kong, Snr. Medical Officer of Health addresses regular GLABCOM meeting |
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The Hearing Impaired Initiative
Persons with physical disabilities, including the hearing impaired, are usually ignored and often times abused. With this in mind, JAS has tailored specific programmes for this community, which is seen to be at high risk of HIV/STI infection. This community is reached through the following:-
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Public Parks: Twice weekly meetings are hosted in the Nelson Mandela Park (Half-Way Tree) and St. William Grant Park (Downtown)
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Hearing impaired clubs: Although these social clubs where hearing-impaired persons play games and watch movies together exist and operate independently of JAS, JAS provides HIV/STI specific information through rap sessions at these events.
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Monthly meetings at JAS: once a month the Kingston Chapter hosts a community meeting for the hearing impaired to relay vital sexual information. A sign-language trained Outreach Officer is present to relay and process information.
The first phase of this initiative was funded by the United States Ambassadors Fund, which resulted in several public service announcements for radio and television
The Jamaica Association for the Deaf also provides training in sign-language for members of the JAS Staff.
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| Dissemination of HIV information is a major part of the TI Department |
Donnovan Leslie, hearing impaired outreach officer, signs for members of that community. |
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| The performing arts is used to spread safer sex messages |
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| Providing sign language interpretation for the hearing impaired |
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| One of the many correctional institutions served by JAS |
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| a section of the crowd gathered to visit inmates at a Kingston prison |
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Correctional Services Initiative (CSI)
Functionally only at the Kingston Chapter programme, the CSI came out of the need to educate persons incarcerated and those in charge of penal institutions about HIV/AIDS and STIs. JAS, in tandem with the Ministry of National Security, the Department of Corrections and the Ministry of Health, is able to conduct HIV/AIDS workshops for both staff members and inmates. A component of the initiative provides special counselling, assistance and “Care Packages” for inmates who are HIV positive.
Another component targets ex-convicts in an effort to encourage them to continue making healthy lifestyle choices outside of prison and to develop of useful life skills. This takes place at our Kingston Chapter.
CSI, along with the Ministry of Health and Ministry Security, also coordinates the delivery of improved medical services in the penal system so as to provide voluntary HIV/STI testing and improved treatment for STIs
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