APE Reflection
Impact Summary
In bettering the health and well-being of the target populations of my applied practice experience, I believe that I played a vital role in leading stakeholders and community members in gaining a better educationally based understanding of HIV Cluster Detection and Response. Essentially, I truly functioned as a health educator and health promoter. This was achieved through social media posting, creation and dissemination of an HIV-related stigma reduction brochure and through an HIV Cluster just in time training. Through these products, I believe I was able to create a positive impact on the community members of Mobile County through expanding their knowledge on HIV, Cluster and Response and stigma reduction. I believe I was also able to have a positive impact on the stakeholders of HIV within Mobile County through delivering timely and effective educational training which provided base knowledge and understanding of HIV Cluster Detection and Response initiatives. The time and effort I put forth to properly participate in my applied practice experience made a positive difference in the experience as a whole because I dedicated a great number of hours, personal time and intentional effort to see this experience succeed. I chose this applied practice experience because of its meaningful impact on a personal level, to me. Therefore, I was fully dedicated to the entire project from start to finish, I even have plans to continue working with my site supervisor on this project as new cases of HIV cluster detection occur and HIV cluster response is needed.
Photos from my Experience
Left to Right: Jora White, HIV Division Manager with the Alabama Department of Public Health; Shey Thorn, Executive Director with AIDS Alabama South; Tameka Dale-Wright, HIV Manager for Mobile County with the Alabama Department of Public Health.
Lessons Learned
The first major takeaway from my applied practice experience is that I learned how to communicate in a professionally appropriate manner with key stakeholder and leaders in the field of public health. This was a crucial milestone for me as I believe it will allow me to build on these inevitable interactions, with a clear and focused mindset, for years to come as I progress through my academic and workforce careers. Secondly, my applied practice experience allowed me to see, firsthand, how public health efforts can change spontaneously due to newly found data and I must be ready to change with these efforts, to continue to create impactful programs to implement. Within the first few weeks of my applied practice experience, we were notified that an HIV cluster had been identified. Although this was the focus of my applied practice, this newly found cluster meant that we had to move at an increased pace to create and disseminate educational materials and training so that our efforts for addressing these clusters could then be focused on outreach initiatives to allow for community members to receive testing services. Lastly, a major takeaway from this experience is that I am capable. This semester, more so than any other, my plate was overflowing. Under the guidance and mentorship of my professors, my site supervisor, and my CEO, I was able to provide myself with grace and understanding so that I could recognize my own accomplishments, breath and take care of my own health so that I could work to take care of the health of our community.
Shey Thorn and Chance Shaw of AIDS Alabama South, interviewed by Fox 10, Mobile.
Purpose and Objectives
The purpose of my applied practice experience has been to educate communities that have been identified through molecular clustering by providing HIV testing and education. To achieve this purpose, a team of staff made up of local AIDS Service Organizations (ASO), Community Based Organizations (CBO), HIV Managers, Disease Intervention Specialist, and a member of the HIV Surveillance Team worked together to conduct these HIV cluster detection and response initiatives. During my applied practice experience, all HIV testing information was reported in the HIV/AIDS Data Information System (HADIS). Additionally, all cluster detection data and response initiatives information were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Professionally and academically, my objective for completing this applied practice experience was to expand and increase my knowledge and capabilities of HIV detection and prevention efforts, including public health education and promotion, in Alabama. Additional objectives for my applied practice experience were to educate Mobile County stakeholders on HIV, cluster detection and response and stigma reduction as well as create and facilitate meetings to ensure the Mobile County Cluster Response Team was adequately trained through educational presentations for the emergent response to new HIV clusters.
Shey Thorn's Prevention Outreach and Sexual Health Clinic team at AIDS Alabama South's National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day Event. Left to right: Danasia Cowans, MPH; Antonio Brito, MA; Rachael Carter, CRNP; Shanmeshia Thompson, CMA.