By Matt Simonette

Staff writer

Test Positive Aware Network announced Oct. 3 that it has received a $2.5 grant million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Under the provisions of the five-year grant, TPAN is to initiate Positive Outcomes for Wellness, Education and Recovery, a holistic health recovery program that provides sexual, drug and alcohol education, intervention, group and individual counseling to African American men, both HIV-positive and –negative, who engage in high risk behaviors.

The program is a partnership with Heartland Alliances, which is to provide outpatient and residential treatment services.

Barb Marcotte, director of programs at TPAN, said the POWER program’s holistic approach would enable TPAN to expand the scope of its approach to the recovery process. Client services are to focus not just on high-risk behaviors, but aspects of participants’ lives that contribute to those behaviors.

“It will help people improve their lives physically as well as spiritually and mentally,” she said, adding that POWER would offer clients support in areas such as employment and education.

The POWER program is targeted towards 18-59-year-old African American men who have sex with men, but “we will not exclude anyone,” according to Marcotte. “Anyone who walks in the door can come in and will be served.”

She added that she expects TPAN’s capacity for HIV testing to increase by 5 percent each year.

According to Rick Bejlovec, executive director of TPAN, the organization tests approximately 200 people a month.

TPAN is currently hiring a coordinator for the program and is beginning to put together promotional materials. POWER is expected to launch in March 2008.

For more information on TPAN and the POWER program, call (773) 989-9400 or visit www.tpan.com.