Mission:
Our primary mission is to reduce the spread of HIV infection in the Hispanic communities through early detection and intervention, HIV/AIDS health education and risk reduction education, and linkage to care and treatment.
Union Positiva, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization committed to leading the fight against the devastating medical, social and economic effects that the HIV/AIDS epidemic and other related illnesses inflict on our Latino communities.
History:
Union Positiva, Inc. is a Latino specific grassroots not-for-profit community-based organization (CBO) located in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Founded in 1997, through a group of dedicated Hispanic volunteers, professionals and advocates concerned about the lack of HIV/AIDS quality services provided by Latinos to Latinos throughout the Hispanic communities in Miami Dade County. We began by providing HIV/AIDS Education, Prevention, and Advocacy services since 1997. By the end of the year 2000, anonymous and confidential HIV Counseling and Testing (CTR) were added to the agency’s services.
In 2003 Union Positiva, Inc. was licensed to begin providing OraQuick Advance Rapid Testing.
We have a dedicated minority-specific Board of Directors and a Latino/a Client Advisory Group to help plan for new services and evaluate current programs.
We acquired a Mobile Health Van through the Closing the Gap program from the Florida Department of Health. Currently, services provided by Union Positiva’s Mobile Health Van are funded by the CDC. This Mobile Health Van allows us to provide free and confidential HIV Rapid Testing and prevention services at regular hours and non-traditional hours doing outreach in Latino HIV/AIDS high risk areas in Miami-Dade County, including rural locations, also throughout neighboring counties in South Florida.
The Mobile Health Van provides access to HIV Rapid Testing Mondays through Saturdays. The schedule includes mornings and afternoons for more traditional locations and populations. It also includes late evening hours for non-traditional locations and populations at highest risk for HIV/AIDS.
Overall, the Mobile Health Van provides outreach, education and prevention, and free and confidential HIV Rapid Testing to those individuals who are at High Risk for HIV/AIDS and that otherwise would not go to get tested at traditional HIV/AIDS Testing sites.
In 2006 alone Union Positiva, provided free and confidential HIV Rapid Testing, Counseling, and Referral services to more than 1,883 Latinos and Latinas ages 13 and older.
During the last 3 years we have conducted an average of 2,000 CTR/HIV Rapid Tests per year with an average HIV positive rate of 1 new HIV case for every 40 Latinos/as tested for HIV at Union Positiva, Inc.
In the State of Florida teens 13 years and older can get tested for HIV without parental consent.
|
