BLACK HEALTH recognizes evidence that shows that the relationship between HIV and race is cyclical, as institutionalized racism manifests both at the individual and institutional levels.[1] The impact of HIV on people of color is devastating, particularly in communities that are disproportionately affected by poverty, discrimination, unequal and limited access to healthcare, stigma, and inequitable treatment once in the healthcare system.[2] To this end, the Conscientious Clinician Program was developed as an intervention to address these gaps and to support students of the clinical professions in identifying the historical and social trends of HIV/AIDS and common STIs in the United States, as well as to support the needs of marginalized groups, including communities of color and the LGBTQ community. The workshop also aims to engage budding health providers in innovative and up-to-date prevention and treatment strategies, including biomedical interventions. Through a series of dynamic group activities and self-reflection exercises, the workshop also engages participants in identifying their unconscious biases and personal challenges when working with vulnerable communities and walks them through exercises that build self-awareness and cultural competence in hopes of improving health outcomes for the most vulnerable populations. This didactic, interactive session combines lectures, case studies, pair and small-group work, and a series of reflections to engage participants around trauma-informed clinical approaches and culturally competent care that acknowledges the experiences of those populations that are most impacted by the HIV epidemic.

Conscientious Clinician Program Structure

The Conscientious Clinician Program will include a series of in-person and virtual seminars designed to engage future physicians and health providers in the topics that are most relevant for serving marginalized and invisible populations and addressing health disparities, including those that exacerbate the HIV epidemic. Topics include:

• An Introduction to HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C and STIs
• Supporting Marginalized Communities
• Addressing the Needs of the LGBTQ and Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming (TGNC) Communities
• The Social Determinants of Health
• Unpacking Bias and Stigma in Medicine
• Using Trauma-Informed Approaches in Care Settings
• Addressing Mental Health in Care

Overall program objectives include:

• Discuss up-to-date HIV prevention and treatment strategies
• Identify ways in which the social determinants of health impact access to care, linkage, and adherence to treatment in marginalized and invisible populations
• Discuss the impact of stigma on the relationship between health provider and patient
• Apply knowledge and skills from the workshop to build culturally competent and therapeutic alliances with clients

Workshops can be customized to meet the specific needs of the medical schools and other programs with which BLACK HEALTH partners.

[1] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2637751/

[2] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15925655