Project CARES (Connecting A/PIs to Resources, Education and Services)

1370 Tully Rd Ste 501
San Jose CA 95122-3056
Phone 408-271-3900
Fax 408-271-3909

E-mail: cares@aars-inc.org

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Language assistance available in: English, Vietnamese, Khmere, Tagalog, Korean, Hindi, Japanese, Cantonese

Program Coordinator: Leonel Angeles

Project CARES (Connecting A/PI’s and others to Resources, Education and Services) provides culturally and linguistically competent Case Management services to Asian and Pacific Islanders, as well as all those living with HIV/AIDS, by increasing healthy lifestyle choices to reduce self-destructive behavior, and by increasing family and community support.

The greater San Francisco Bay Area is home to one of the largest A/PI Americans and immigrants communities in the nation. Historic representation of Asians and recent influx of A/PIs make the San Francisco Bay area very unique in California as well as in the nation. For example, three out of the top ten cities (populations of over 100,000) with the highest percentage of Asians are in Santa Clara County (Sunnyvale, Santa Clara and San Jose). Research studies have revealed alarming levels of drug abuse among A/PIs, particularly among recent immigrants from the Philippines and Southeast Asian countries, and high rates of HIV-related risk behaviors among Asian drug users, Asian female sex workers and A/PI gay men.

Few community-based organizations in the San Francisco Bay area provide culturally sensitive and appropriate substance abuse treatment or HIV/AIDS programs for A/PIs. Substance abuse treatment programs usually do not often have HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programs for their clients. Conversely, HIV/AIDS programs for APIs and all others typically do not address substance abuse prevention and treatment issues to their clients. To meet this need, Project CARES integrates substance abuse and HIV/AIDS Case Management services for A/Pis, as well as others who reside in Santa Clara County.

In addition, Project CARES enhances the quality of a newly established program at AARS: Project TEPOT (Targeted Expansion Project for Outreach and Treatment.), by providing culturally and linguistically competent follow-up Case Management services to those persons identified with HIV/AIDS. Project TEPOT provides outreach services targeting two high-risk groups in Santa Clara County: 1) A/PI men who have sex with men (MSM) and 2) A/PI female sex workers at massage parlors, nail salons, coffee shops, tanning shops, pool halls, etc..

Project CARES goals:

• To increase the access of primary medical care and appropriate social support services for A/PI’s living with HIV/AIDS.
  
• To increase the number of Case Management services (e.g., risk assessment, referrals, and substance abuse treatment), for A/PI’s living with HIV/AIDS.