• Family needs assessment and service plan development.
• Support and assistance for HIV disclosure.
• Permanency planning services inclusive of identifying new caregivers and naming stand-by guardians.
• Therapeutic recreation activities to strengthen relationships and communication in families of origin, extended families and new caregiver families.
• Grief and bereavement services including practical supports at the time of an HIV infected caregiver’s death.
• Transitional and family stabilization supports for new caregiver families.
• Developmentally and contextually appropriate parent education and support services.
• Short term individual and family counseling services.
• Access to 24 hour crisis intervention services.

• Coordination of services for involved families with other service providers.

These clinical, crisis, and supportive services are available on a home-based level, however, if a consumer prefers, these services will also be available on-site. Parent education and support services are offered on a home-based, individualized level in addition to a support group, mutual aid capacity.

Primary goals of the program include: Family safety and stabilization; identification of strengths and resources; identification and prioritization of needs; support for disclosure and permanency planning; support for adaptive functioning within the context of living with a chronic, life threatening illness; linkage with appropriate, continuing and natural community supports; coordination of services and advocacy with involved systems.

For referrals within the Capital District contact:
Eileen Rossler, LMSW, Associate Executive Director for Community Based Services
Phone: (518)-482-8836
E-mail

For all other counties within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany contact:
Valerie Bochenek, Associate Executive Director for Outreach Services
Phone: (518)-725-6016
E-mail

Additional Resources: Catholic Charities AIDS Services