Hepatitis C Mentor And Support Group Inc

THE HEPATITIS C MENTOR AND SUPPORT GROUP, INC. ADDRESSES THE LACK OF EDUCATION AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR PEOPLE WITH HCV AND/OR CO INFECTED WITH HIV. WE PROVIDE RESOURCES AND SERVICES TO ORGANIZATIONS, HOSPITALS, CLINICS, AND SYRINGE EXCHANGE PROGRAMS. HCMSG OFFERS PROGRAMS TO ENHANCE THE DEGREE TO WHICH PATIENTS, HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS AND COMMUNITY BASED SERVICE PROVIDERS CAN MANAGE AND TREAT. BECAUSE SYNDEMICS ARE INTERCONNECTED, EDUCATION AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES ON SUBSTANCE USE AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER.DURING THE COVID-19 CRISIS, SERVICES TO THE POPULATIONS WE SERVE HAVE BEEN SEVERELY IMPACTED. THE SERVICES WE PROVIDE ARE BENEFICIAL TO ALL, ESPECIALLY PEOPLE WHO USE DRUGS AND THE HOMELESS.WITH RESTRICTIONS CAUSED BY COVID-19, IN PERSON GROUP TRAININGS WERE LIMITED. THEREFORE IN 2020 WE ADAPTED OUR EDUCATIONAL AND SUPPORT CIRCLE MODEL TO SERVICE PATIENTS VIRTUALLY THROUGH THE USE OF ONLINE TRAININGS, WEBINARS, WEB CONFERENCES AND VIRTUAL SUPPORT GROUPS. DIRECT RESPONSE HAS ESPECIALLY AFFECTED THE VULNERABLE POPULATION AS THE USUAL AVENUES FOR SERVICES ARE LIMITED OR CLOSED. WE FEAR NUMBERS OF HCV WILL RISE DUE TO THE LACK OF TESTING AND TREATMENT. ANOTHER CONSEQUENCE CAUSED BY ISOLATION WITHOUT SUPPORTIVE SERVICES IS AN INCREASE IN OVERDOSE WHICH WE ARE ALREADY RECEIVING REPORTS OF AROUND THE COUNTRY HAVE EXCEEDED 100,000 FOR 2021. WE HAVE PROVIDED OUR EDUCATIONAL COUNSELING KITS WITH SELF-CARE PRODUCTS WHEREVER NEEDED. HCMSGS ON LINE TRAINING HAS AN INCENTIVE OF AN ONLINE FOOD CARD FOR THOSE WHO COMPLETE IT, GIVING THEM BOTH AN EDUCATION AND FOOD.VIRTUAL SUPPORT CIRCLE GROUPS PROVIDE PATIENTS WITH A COMMUNITY AS WELL AS ACCESS TO MEDICAL INFORMATION, AND A POSITIVE EMOTIONAL SUPPORT SYSTEM AT A TIME WHEN ACCESS TO TESTING AND TREATMENT HAS BEEN SUSPENDED. PATIENTS ARE FEELING LOST AND ISOLATED. REACHING THOSE MOST VULNERABLE TO COVID-19 AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE IS OUR MAIN FOCUS.FOR THE PAST ELEVEN YEARS, HCMSG HAS BROUGHT MUCH NEEDED EDUCATION AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES TO ONE OF THE COUNTRYS MOST DIVERSE PATIENT POPULATIONS, INCLUDING THOSE CO-INFECTED WITH HIV, SUBSTANCE USE COMMUNITIES, THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY, BABY BOOMERS, YOUTH, AND WOMEN OF CHILD-BEARING AGE. TO DATE, HCMSG HAS TRAINED OVER 1,000 FACILITATORS, WHO HAVE IN TURN TOUCHED TENS OF THOUSANDS OF LIVES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. HCMSG HAS FILLED A NICHE AND THEREFORE CONTINUES TO EXPAND OUR PROGRAMS. WE STAY IN CONTACT WITH OUR SITES AND ATTENDEES. WE FOLLOW UP THROUGH THE USE OF OUR TELE-SUPPORT PROGRAM. WE HAVE ESTABLISHED THE CIRCLE MODEL IN SITES NATIONWIDE, TENNESSEE, NORTH CAROLINA, VIRGINIA, HAWAII, AND NEW YORK AS WE CONTINUE TO EXPAND.