Dear all,

We are pleased to inform you that Gujarat AIDS Awareness and Prevention (GAP) Unit is organizing a four day workshop on Pediatric Counselling Skills Training: "Communication effectively with children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS and their families and carers". The dates of the workshop are 11th to 14th August 2003, at Ahmedabad. This training workshop will be conducted by Ms. Catherine O'Keeffe, Director of Education, Mildmay International, UK

Please find below, with this letter- a document giving you the programme and all details regarding. GAP is enrolling participants on a first come first served basis. (There are twenty participants in the workshop) Please send in an email confirming your/ (or the person from your organization) participation as soon as possible, and do send in your registration with the demand draft latest by 31st July 2003, to facilitate the management details.

The programme is designed for counselors/social workers wh! o have already acquired Basic Counselling Skills on HIV/AIDS, working as counselors in drop in centers, VCT centers, community counselling centers, Hospices / Hospitals.

Hoping to hear from you regarding your participation at the earliest.

In solidarity,

Dr.(Ms)Radium D. Bhattacharya
Director
GAP-ISRCDE


A Pediatric Counselling Skills Development Training Programme
on COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY WITH CHILDREN INFECTED WITH AND AFFECTED BY HIV/AIDS, THEIR FAMILIES AND CARERS. August 11 - 14, 2003 at Ahmedabad

Organized by Gujarat AIDS Awareness and Prevention Unit - ISRCDE
B-01, Siddhchakra Apts., Ellisbridge, Ahmedabad- 380006, India.
Tel: 91-79-6575282, Fax : 91-79-6575962, e-mail : gapad1@...

Overview: In a world with AIDS, there are children who are infected with HIV ! and those who are affected by the epidemic's intrusion into their families and communities. But the epidemic casts its biggest shadow by far on the hundreds of millions of children who live in the risk of HIV infection because their fundamental rights, including care and information and education are ignored, or because, their personal circumstances make them especially vulnerable.

HIV/AIDS is already affecting children in India. By the end of 1999, UNAIDS estimated that approximately 170,000 children in India, under age 15 were living with HIV/AIDS ( HIV/AIDS update 2002). Just to take an example of any state, like Tamil Nadu, where prevalence of HIV in antenatal women is 1%, there would be 42,000 cases of HIV positive children in a city like Chennai alone (NACO - TNSACS)

Course participants:
The programme is designed for the counselors who have already acquired Basic Counselling Skills on HIV/AIDS, working as counselors in drop in centers, VCT centers, comm! unity counselling centers, Hospices / Hospitals. We were hopeful to have two workshops anticipating the large demand from participants, but as we have the information that our facilitator is available only for one workshop hence there will be only one workshop for 20 participants from August 11- 14, 2003. Therefore the participants will be selected on a first come first registered basis.
Objectives: By the end of the programme participants should be able to :
a.. Explain the principles of effective communication with children infected & affected, their families, carers.
b.. Discuss application to care of some theories of child cognitive development and children's morale development.
c.. Explain the role of health worker in supporting these children & their families.
d.. Draft an Action Plan

Methods: The workshop will be participative, including short presentations; role plays; group work; videos; practical sessions and action planning. The program! me is designed to enhance participatory skills in pediatric couselling to HIV infected & affected children, parents & care takers.. The workshop will be conducted in the English language

Facilitators: External Ms. Catherine O'Keeffe, Director of Education
Mildmay International, UK. Ms. Catherine O'Keeffe is an internationally well known educator in the field of HIV/AIDS. She has expertise in training & education for HIV/AIDS care in diverse cultural setting, research dealing with sensitive and emotive issues in HIV/AIDS, care, developing innovative models of home/community based care. She has enormous experience of working in many countries in Africa and in Thailand, in Asia.
Internal: The internal facilitators will be core group counselors of GAP trained by London Lighthouse, UK.

Course Fee: The course fee is Rs. 5000/-. This fee covers charges for boarding & lodging, local hospitality, course materials. Participants will have to bear trave! l expenses to & from Ahmedabad.

How to apply: The participants are requested to fill in the attached forms & send it along with a demand draft in favour of GAP-ISRCDE by July 31st -2003.
B-01, Siddhachakra Apts., Ellisbridge, Ahmedabad 380006, Gujarat.

No application will be accepted without demand draft.

Tentative Programme.
Day One:
Introductions
Participants Expectations - Group work to clarify expectations and priorities of the group
An overview of HIV/AIDS in India ( including impact on children and families, transmission issues, treatment options)
Who is the child with HIV/AIDS: Group work to explore the needs of children affected by or infected with HIV/AIDS. The exercise will focus on the needs of children from communities where participants work.
Cognitive and Moral Development in Children: How theories relating to child development can be used to improve communication and care in practice. Application in different cu! ltures.

Day Two:
Approaches to care: Discussion examining care options for children, their families, carers and communities in India. Identification of key strategies to promote effective care and support. Examination of the role of the health care worker in relation to care and support of children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS

Skills for working with positive patients and/or carers. Challenges faced by positive parents/carers of positive children eg.accepting their own status, stigma, disclosure, grief and loss. Their needs for counselling and support. Approaches to facilitating communication within the family in different cultural contexts.
Accessing care: Clinical identification. Testing for HIV and Children. Availability of tests. Informed consent. Emotional support. Role of Health worker.

Day Three:
Specific skills for working with children

Communication needs of children: Communication needs of children at different ages eg.Under ! 5, 5-12 years, 13-19 years. Disclosure to the positive child;

Verbal /non-verbal communication in children; How children react to bereavement and loss; Factors affecting developing trusting relationships with children;
How adults block communication with children. Skills for open communication
Presentation of theory with role play sessions.

Day four:
Skills for working with children in distress and skills for working with children facing loss/ death separation: Role plays to practice communication with children in these circumstances; use of games that be used to help children.
Planning with parents and children for the future. Action Planning: Setting Goals In this session the participants will be given the opportunity to consider how they wish to apply what has been shared in their own settings and even write brief plans.

Evaluation
Participatory evaluation of the workshop.
Closing ceremony
Speeches from participants / facilitators ! and presentation

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