Members Present: Marcy Thompson (Co-Chair), Freddy Molano, Rasheed Ford, Reginald Brown, Vanessa Decamps, Arthur Fitting, John Schoepp, Raffi Babakhanian, Jennifer Irwin
DOHMH, PHS, NYS, CHAIN, and Other Staff Present: Doienne Saab, David Klotz, Jeff Klein, Alyssa Prince, Roya Barakzai, Lilian Ha, Cristina Rodriguez-Hart, Maiko Yomogida, Kimbirly Mack, Sara Kramer
Agenda Item #1/2:
Introductions/Moment of Silence/Minutes/Announcements:
Marcy T. opened the meeting with attendee introductions. A moment of silence was held. The June meeting minutes were approved with no changes. Doienne S. presented a tribute to Marcy T. for her dedication and leadership to the Needs Assessment Committee and the NY HIV Planning Council. Several members provided remarks thanking Marcy T. for her service to the Committee and Planning Council, as she steps down as Co-Chair and council member.
Agenda Item #3: Presentation – 2023 – 2024 Year in Review
Doienne S. provided a recap on the NAC activities completed from November 2023 to July 2024. Highlights from the year included completing recommendations to support priority priorities such as immigrants and those involved in sex work to improve and enhance equitable access to RWPA services in the NY EMA. Members shared that they enjoyed hearing about the NAC’s accomplished tasks through the yearly planning cycle.
Presentation – Drafted Recommendations to Support Sex Workers
Doienne S. shared drafted recommendations for providing affirming, safe, and welcoming RWPA services to those involved in sex work. She described the process used to develop the recommendations which included compiling knowledge from literature reviews and presentations delivered to the NAC from May to June. Several big picture themes were drafted and shared during the meeting, including sex work criminalization, client-centered care and autonomy, harm reduction and improvement and engagement strategies to develop each of the recommendations.
- Theme – Sex Work Criminalization
- The Recipient should inform RWPA providers about the significance of patient/client privacy, confidentiality, and informed consent. RWPA providers must never disclose a patient’s profession to anyone else, including authorities, and from documenting it in a patient’s chart. RWPA providers should work closely with the patient to guarantee their comfort with information being documented or recorded during their visit.
- The Recipient should equip RWPA providers with resources and tools to appropriately deliver services in a manner which safeguards and upholds the human rights of all sex workers (see: UNAIDS released statement in solidarity with sex workers) . Additionally, the recipient should guarantee that RWPA providers receive training on non-discrimination and the rights of sex workers to receive top-notch, non-coercive care, as well as ensuring confidentiality and informed consent.
- Theme – Client-centered care and Autonomy
- The Recipient should inform RWPA providers that services should be accessible to all individuals engaged in sex work who wish to access them and should be made available to all people involved in sex work who desire services. Services should be delivered in an equitable, stigma-free, welcoming and safe manner that dignifies and caters to each person’s specific and desired need using a respectful and non-coercive approach.
- The Recipient should promote and provide the NYC Health Department’s LGBTQ Bill of Rights to RWPA providers and clients. (The LGBTQ Bill of Rights informs all LGBTQ+ people of their legal rights in health care settings in NYC).
- Theme – Harm Reduction
- RWPA providers should have free naloxone kits, and drug testing strips for Fentanyl or Xylazine available at their sites. RWPA provider staff should be trained on …. For more information on accessing kits, strips or trainings, visit nyc.gov/naloxone or https://oasas.ny.gov/prevent-overdose.
- RWPA providers should provide safer sex and hygiene kits. Suggested items can include a variety of condom options (e.g., internal, external, lubricated, un-lubricated, non-latex, flavored, vary sizes and brands), lube packets, tampons, band aids/finger cots, Q-tips, snacks, travel-size – handi-wipes, hand sanitizer, mouth wash, toothbrush/paste, pipes for drug use rather than syringes e.g., safer smoking supplies are essential items to include in sex worker kits at their agency locations.
- Improve and Strengthen Engagement
- Recommend that RWPA providers engage and consult with sex work-led organizations and community to improve and strengthen engagement within this population.
- All quality improvement mechanisms should not have any barriers to participation to clients involved in sex work (e.g., feedback mechanisms – CABs, suggestion box, client-experience surveys).
Several members commented that providing a client experience feedback mechanism was important to capture the unique challenges faced by people involved in sex work when accessing and navigating services at an agency and/or provider. Another member suggested providing a list of resources of vetted sex work led organizations was important to include in the recommendations for RWPA providers to share with clients involved in sex work.
Overall, members expressed that the drafted recommendations accurately captured the literature review and information shared during the presentations in May and June on the topic of sex work.
Doienne S. reminded members that she would continue finetuning the recommendations and present a final version when the NAC meetings resume in Fall 2024.
In closing, several members expressed their gratitude for the hard work that went into the planning and facilitation of the NAC meetings through the planning year cycle. There being no more discussion, the meeting was adjourned.
There being no more discussion, the meeting was adjourned.
