Massachusetts Community AIDS Resource Enhancement (MassCARE)
The MassCARE (Massachusetts Community AIDS Resource Enhancement) Program was designed to ensure access to and enhance statewide capacity to provide coordinated, comprehensive, family-centered, culturally and linguistically competent counseling, testing, and care for individuals living with HIV. MassCARE and similar programs around the country are designed to make care available to as many infected children, adolescents, women, and families as possible, by promoting early identification and enhancing available care. It is one of 58 programs funded nationally under Title IV of the Ryan White Care Act.
Key Components of MassCARE
- Medical and case management services offered by a team of health care providers (available at five sites statewide):
- Confidential HIV counseling and testing
- Help with permanency planning and disclosure; Access to HIV-related medical care, clinical trials, primary pediatric care and support services in the community
- Case management, including care coordination to ensure HIV positive children, youth, and women are linked to early HIV care and support services
- Outreach and training to help providers integrate HIV counseling and testing into routine prenatal and women's health care
- Technical assistance to help providers give high quality care to pregnant women and adolescents who are HIV positive or at-risk for HIV infection
Family Support Initiatives (available to families throughout the state):
- Family Advisory Network (FAN)
- Annual parent/caregiver retreat
- Annual family networking day
- MassCARE newsletter
- Father's group
- Outreach and education to groups of women and adolescents of childbearing age, including pregnant HIV positive women and adolescents (to reduce the chance of her child being infected)
- Peer support and advocacy to HIV positive women and adolescents
Our target population is children, adolescents, women and family members living with HIV, providers of women's health care, substance abuse staff, maternal and child health program staff, HIV positive pregnant women, and parenting women and adolescents.
Comment on Our Key Components, Activities and Family Support Initiatives
Contact Information
Sandra Broughton, Director, MassCARE
Bureau of Family Health and Nutrition
250 Washington Street
Boston, MA 02108
Telephone: (617) 994-9819
Fax: (617) 624-5990
Email: sandra.broughton@state.ma.us
This information is provided by the Division for Perinatal, Early Childhood, and Special Health Needs within the Department of Public Health.