AIDS PROGRAM REACHING OUT TO SOUTHERN TIER RESIDENTS

Chalanda Graham spends much of her workday helping others juggle a
variety of tasks, from finding housings to accessing Social Security
benefits to obtaining counseling for substance abuse.

Whatever their myriad of needs, Graham's clients all have one thing
in common-- they are all HIV positive.

Graham is a case manager at the Elmira office of the Southern Tier
AIDS Program, which provides free and confidential services for
people living with AIDS or HIV. Now in her 10th month month on the
job, Graham works about 35 hours per week, managing a caseload of 50
people. Her responsibilities also include helping people access
public assistance, Medicaid and the AIDS Drug Assistance Program.

"I really just help people navigate the systems," she said.

Although STAP overall employs about 40 people, Graham is the only
person who works in the organization's Elmira office. That may soon
change, though, as STAP officials are currently looking for another
case manager to work there, and hope eventually to have four
full-time staff member in Elmira.

The reason for the expansion is simple, said John Barry, STAP's
interim executive director John Barry -- necessity.

"We know that there are HIV positive people in Chemung County," he
said. "It's not even a question. It's a matter of accessing those
folks and helping them out with our services."

There is a large medical practice in the Elmira area that sees about
200 people who are HIV positive, Barry said. STAP's caseload is at
its highest point since the organization was founded 20 years ago at
258 active clients, of which 35 are from Chemung County.

Graham said the people she works with every day will benefit from a
larger office.

"We'll be able to better serve the clients here locally," she said.
"They won't have to wait so long for assistance (as they would) with
just one person. We can serve a variety of needs and start more
support groups to help the clients."

Case managers provide general support and advocacy referrals
surrounding housing placement, rent, utility and mortgage assistance
as well as social events. Strong organizational skills, as well as a
sense of compassion, are key in their positions, said Barry, who was
a case manager himself for six years.

All STAP case managers hold bachelor's degrees, many in fields such
as social work and psychology.

In addition to case management, education is another key component to
STAP's work, Barry said.

That includes teaching other organizations about the services STAP
provides and letting individuals infected with HIV how they can keep
from spreading the virus.

The organization encourages people to be tested, and also has a
syringe exchange program designed to stop the spread of HIV.

To Get Help

Contact the Southern Tier Aids Program at:

122 Baldwin St., Johnson City, New York 13790

(607) 798-1706

Office Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday

Hotline: (800) 333-0892

E-mail: info@stapinc.org

Online: www.stapinc.org