From the Desk of Chuck Peterson
From my very first day at the Southwest Center, I have been inspired both by our community’s generous support for our mission, and by our staff’s dedication to providing compassionate care and support for the people we serve, which is reflected in this comment from one of our clients:
“Chris was so sweet and made my visit to the clinic so much more comfortable and he was overall so positive. I loved working with him and he even went the extra mile to play one of my favorite song during my blood draw (since I get very uncomfortable with needles) to make me feel more comfortable. He’s amazing. My experience overall is always great with you guys. Thank you for being a positive resource in our community.”
The Southwest Center is an integrated and inclusive wellness center for the thousands of people we serve every year. Whether they are seeking gender affirming healthcare, PrEP/PEP, behavioral health, nutrition services, case management, or programs that educate and empower, they can find it here.
While the COVID-19 pandemic has certainly made it more difficult to reach all the people who want our services, the need for our work has increased. I have been humbled by the collective effort of our donors and staff to ensure the Southwest Center can continue to offer barrier-free, culturally-competent LGBTQ+ friendly healthcare and wellness services, regardless of the challenges.
This would not be possible without donations from our community. Your gift ensures our doors remain open and we can continue to offer barrier-free, affordable care and support to help our clients and patients live long, healthy lives. With so many individuals and families in our community facing financial challenges, your support is needed, now more than ever.
I hope you will consider making a contribution today by clicking here, or you can contact Julie Winslett Wagoner, Director of Development and Communications, at 602-595-8154 or development@swcenter.org.
Thank you for your support!
Sincerely,
Chuck Peterson, Executive Director
Staff Introductions
Robert Carter
Registered Dietitian
Robert Carter recently joined the Southwest Center’s Nutrition team and is providing nutrition counseling and education to our clients. Using a strengths-based approach, he works to help clients tailor their nutrition and eating habits to support their health and longevity goals. Robert is in Phoenix by way of Florida and has been a working dietitian for three years since completing a master’s degree in Nutrition at ASU. If you ever want to talk vegetables, stop in and say hello!
Tony Monarrez
is the newest Prevention Project Coordinator
Tony Monarrez, the Southwest Center’s newest Prevention Project Coordinator, is in charge of the Nice Package campaign. As a Latino Phoenix native, his passion stems from his involvement in the Latin community, as it has shaped him as an individual. Tony has been even more involved through another Southwest Center program, IGNITE Your Pride, and brings lots of experience and ideas to the Nice Package campaign. You will still find Tony out in the community occasionally doing some outreach or supporting local drag performers in the community. Don’t forget to order free condoms from him on NicePackage.org!
Kendra Tonan-Lizzarago
Trans Resource Navigator
Kendra Tonan-Lizzarago is the Southwest Center’s new Trans Resource Navigator. Since coming out six years ago, Kendra has been dedicated to helping others as she is discovering herself and the woman she wants the world to see. In her role, she uses her personal experiences and passion for equality and lifting others’ voices to give support in any way she can. Also known as Serra Tonan Savage, she is a five-term President of Trans Spectrum of Arizona, Countess XV and Lady XIV of the Imperial Court of Arizona, Miss Cruisin’ 7th 2020/2021, and Girl of the House of Shangri-La.
Case Management Team
Combined for over 30 years of Direct Care experience, our new Medical and Non-Medical Case Management team is equipped with the resources and compassion to serve and help our clients live their best life. When you come to the Southwest Center, you join our family, and our client-centered care model ensures everyone has access to health care, psychosocial, and many other services provided by trained professionals to meet all needs. From left to right – Aretha Moore, Medical and Non-Medical Case Management Supervisor, Michael Sheppard, Medical Case Manager, & “Cookie” King, Supportive Case Manager.
Reflecting On Our 2020 Accomplishments
Spring is here, and brings with it new beginnings, hope and a continued focus on our future. As we look ahead, now is a great time to reflect on 2020. Although we faced many challenges like other organizations in our community, the Southwest Center was able to grow and innovate. Below are our top five accomplishments for 2020.
Testing 3 Ways: Innovative and Accessible Opportunities for Testing
Our Clinical HIV and STI Testing team expanded our approach to meet the needs of our clients during the pandemic. We now offer three ways for our community to access testing services by appointment:
Tele-testing: For each client, our team mails a test kit and schedules a video conference session where compassionately trained staff walk them through the test, from preparation to specimen collection. We include a harm reduction session for a real-time honest conversation about their sexual health. Once the client receives their results, they are connected to a PrEP Navigator if they test negative or an Early Intervention Specialist (EIS) if they test positive.
Drive-Thru Testing: On Tuesdays and Thursdays, our Testers dressed in appropriate PPE will meet clients in our parking garage for a 60-second HIV Test. During the appointment, they discuss harm reduction, linkage to care and next steps as a referral.
In-Clinic Appointment Only Testing: By utilizing an appointment system, we have been able to safely offer face-to-face HIV/STI testing in our clinic where clients can be socially distanced from others. Results for HIV are provided during the session, and we can immediately link a client to their next steps for PrEP or EIS services.
Pivot to Telehealth and Virtual Programming During COVID-19
Many of the Southwest Center’s offerings, including our healthcare, intervention and community services, pivoted to utilizing telehealth and virtual programming to ensure we could continue to serve our community safely. This included:
Both our Health Clinic and Behavioral Health services now offer in-person and telehealth visits depending on the needs of the patient.
Exceptional one-on-one programs such as life-changing life coaching sessions through CLEAR Actions, trans navigation sessions for health and resources, and PrEP and PEP navigation services.
The TEA Mpowerment Program continued its community building and educational program for young men of color, launching a new awareness campaign called “Don’t Stop Talking Sex During COVID” that was recognized locally with an award by Phoenix Pride, and nationally through the US Conference on HIV/AIDS.
We launched an exciting Workforce Development program that recruits and assists the LGBTQ community with resume building, interview skills, and job applications, as well as connecting them with potential employers.
Improved Access To Care
During 2020, our Health Clinic added a second full-time Nurse Practitioner to increase our capacity for providing health services to our community, such as PrEP, PEP, Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), Primary Care and HIV Care. We have expanded our Behavioral Health Department by hiring a Clinical Supervisor and another full-time therapist to join our team.
With this solid foundation, we will continue to improve and increase services to the community to ensure complete wellness is easy and accessible to achieve here at the Southwest Center. We are exploring multiple ways to connect our healthcare team with our patients via a variety of platforms.
Increase in Nutrition and Healthcare Services
Our Nutrition Services Department experienced significant growth in its food voucher services, with the number of vouchers distributed each month increasing from around 200 to nearly 500, thanks to an increase in funding through the CARES Act. This was especially crucial due to the pandemic’s impact on people who are food insecure.
We also received approval to begin offering Title X services beginning in April 2021. This will give the Southwest Center the ability to offer on-site contraceptive and reproductive health services such as birth control, STI treatment, sexual health counseling, and much more.
Expansion of Outreach Programs
Our Outreach Team began conducting dating app outreach in 2020 to meet the community where they are and to spark real-time conversations about sexual health and harm reduction. Through this program, we provide referrals for clients who need resources such as PrEP and PEP Navigation, re-engagement in HIV care, medical care, trans care, HIV/STI testing, and education and empowerment programs. Our success through this outreach has allowed us to continue recruiting and serving communities who need our services during the pandemic.
The Southwest Center’s Nice Package statewide condom distribution program saw an explosion of requests for condoms and sexual health resource information, with online orders for condom packs growing from around 400 to more than 1,000 each month. These requests resulted in a total of 91,404 condoms being distributed through mail order alone. The Outreach Team worked very well together to meet the need of our state to provide a resource that has been scarce during the pandemic.
National Nutrition Month®
To celebrate National Nutrition Month®, the Southwest Center is pleased to highlight our Vitamin and Herb Shop, a vital part of our Nutrition Program run by Danya Valdez, our Patient Services Coordinator.
Our Vitamin and Herb Shop carries more than 50 products, including pharmaceutical grade supplements that are prescribed by a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) who specializes in care of HIV+ individuals. These supplements provide additional care for their special dietary needs, in conjunction with a healthy diet. HIV+ clients in our Ryan White Program receive vitamin/minerals, caloric supplements, super EPA/flaxseed oil, and protein powder, all free of charge.
The Vitamin and Herb Shop also provides wellness or naturopathic products for additional supplementation. These are available both for our HIV+ clients and for the general public. Whether you need additional calories for weight gain, extra Vitamin D or C, or would like the benefits of our high-quality fish oil, we have those products and more!
The Southwest Center is proud to have served thousands of clients through our Vitamin and Herb Shop over the past 25 years. We have assisted in improving the quality of health of our clients and are passionate about the value of nutrition and supplementation in the care of our clients with HIV and other health concerns.
If you’re looking for supplements, call Danya in the Vitamin and Herb Shop at 602.595.8167.