Rethink Positive

What is Rethink Positive?

Rethink Positive is a free workshop-based program designed to reduce HIV stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV in Tarrant County.

Rethink Positive is designed to educate and inspire participants to reduce the devastating effects of HIV stigma.

The program offers healthcare providers,  community organizations, correctional institutions and educational facilities with free customized in-person or online workshops that educate staff about HIV and explore how HIV-related stigma and discrimination negatively impact people living with the disease, as well as the HIV epidemic as a whole.

Our workshops teach attendees how to recognize and challenge stigma and provide proactive tools like creating a Best Practices Action Plan and an Implementation Strategy to enact anti-stigma policies within the workplace. 

Major causes of HIV stigma:

1. Lack of awareness of HIV-related stigma and its devastating effects
2. Fear of casual contact due to incomplete knowledge about transmission
3. Values linking HIV positive to immoral behavior

Role of Rethink Positive in ending the HIV epidemic

HIV-related stigma and discrimination disrupt the fight against the HIV epidemic by reducing participation in testing, making people less likely to use preventative measures, and deterring those who are HIV positive from following up with providers for treatment.

By reducing HIV stigma in healthcare, correctional and educational organizations, we hope to increase participation in testing, prevention, and ongoing treatment. Our goal is that more at-risk people in Tarrant County will start adopting HIV-preventative behaviors, and those living with HIV will find it easier to access needed care – especially those who are already marginalized, such as people who are LGBTQ+, sex workers, IV drug users, immigrants, and prisoners.

We want to help people who are at-risk feel empowered to command their sexual health and reduce their chances of contracting and spreading HIV. We cannot end the HIV epidemic without reducing stigma.   

Workshops for healthcare facilities and correctional institutions

Rethink Positive’s free workshops are specifically tailored for healthcare facilities, community organizations, and educational and correctional institutions. They can be further customized based on the type of personnel participating, including facility administrators, healthcare providers, non-clinical staff, and other institutional staff.   

This workshop has five available modules to choose from.

Workshop modules:

1.  HIV 101
2.  Stigma & Discrimination 
3.  Judgments & Values  
4.  Standard Precautions 
5.  Best Practices Action Plan & Implementation Strategy

Module 1 focuses on education surrounding HIV and its transmission and is written for non-clinical participants.

Module 2 investigates stigma and discrimination, what this looks like, and how it feels to be stigmatized.

Module 3 is about judgments and values and how they impact the way people living with HIV are treated in healthcare and correctional facilities. 

Module 4 outlines the standard precautions necessary to protect against the spread of HIV within a facility. 

Module 5 asks participants to create a Best Practices Action Plan and Implementation Strategy to ensure that their facility continues to focus on eliminating HIV stigma. 

Our workshops are customized for your facility based on your specific needs and time constraints. The program typically ranges from a single two-hour workshop to a full two-day event.  

For more information, contact:

Terrence E. Nobles, BA

Health Educator  

Email:  PHOutreach@tarrantcounty.com

Direct: 817-321-4711 

Text: 682-216-0657