Puerto Rico Training Institute Builds Capacity of HIV Providers

Hands United and Comunidades Saludables Ahora (Healthy Communities Now), the national programs of the capacity building assistance division of the Latino Commission on AIDS, are proud to announce the third part of a multi-component training institute in Puerto Rico: two trainings to take place in Bayamon, Puerto Rico on Tuesday October 30.  This training institute, titled“Fortaleciendo el Compromiso: Movilizando la comunidad para Crear un Futuro sin VIH en Puerto Rico” (“Strengthening Commitment: Mobilizing the Community to Create a Future without HIV in Puerto Rico”), is a response to needs found during an assessment study. The Commission conducted organizational assessments with eight community based organizations funded by the Puerto Rico Department of Health.

The Latino Commission on AIDS identified a high level of commitment on the part of community based organizations in Puerto Rico, and hopes to strengthen skill sets to maximize impact in HIV/AIDS service provision in a context of shrinking resources. By dedicating capacity building assistance over the course of seven months, the Latino Commission on AIDS and its capacity building assistance team hopes to monitor progress during the institute and thereafter. The training institute is free of charge to attendees/registrants and is a seven component series initiated in August, and to conclude in February of 2013. The seven components consist of: four webinars, two presentations of sessions recorded during the International AIDS Conference, community forums, and multiple Face to Face trainings on various topics, some of which include organizational sustainability, community mobilization, social marketing. The Latino Commission on AIDS is proud to partner on some of the components with AIDS Project Los Angeles, the American Psychological Association, and the Puerto Rican Organization for Community Education and Economic Development.

Agencies interested in attending or finding out more are encouraged to contact the capacity building assistance program coordinator, Anahi Galante at agalante@latinoaids.org or (212) 675-3288 ext. 410.