Purchase of Service Agreements with Aids Committee of
Toronto and Youthlink Inner City for the Period
July 1, 1998 to June 30, 1999
The Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee recommends:
(1)that a purchase of service agreement for the provision of HIV/AIDS prevention
services by the AIDS Committee of Toronto be entered into for the period of July 1,
1998 to June 30, 1999, at a cost not to exceed $256,808.00, inclusive of GST;
(2)that a purchase of service agreement for the provision of HIV/AIDS prevention
services by YOUTHLINK Inner City be entered into for the period of July 1, 1998 to
June 30, 1999, at a cost not to exceed $149,608.00, inclusive of GST;
(3)that 50 percent of the required funding in the amount of $203,208.00 be drawn
from the 1999 fiscal year; and
(4)that the appropriate City of Toronto officials be authorized to take the necessary
action to give effect thereto.
The Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee submits the following transmittal
letter (July 14, 1998) from the Budget Committee:
Recommendation:
The Budget Committee on July 13, 1998, recommended to the Strategic Policies and
Priorities Committee, and Council, the adoption of the recommendations embodied in the
transmittal letter (June 24, 1998) from the Board of Health.
Background:
The Budget Committee on July 13, 1998, had before it a transmittal letter (June 24, 1998)
from the Board of Health regarding the Purchase of Service Agreements with Aids
Committee of Toronto and Youthlink Inner City.
--------
(Transmittal letter dated June 24, 1998, addressed to the
Budget Committee from the
Board of Health)
Recommendation:
The Board of Health at its meeting on June 23, 1998 recommended the adoption of the
report (June 12, 1998) from the Medical Officer of Health, and forwards this matter to the
Budget Committee for consideration of 50 percent of the required funding in the amount of
$203,208.00 being drawn from the 1999 fiscal year.
Background:
The Board of Health had before it a report (June 12, 1998) from the Medical Officer of
Health respecting the Purchase of Service Agreements with Aids Committee of Toronto and
Youthlink Inner City for the Period July 1, 1998 to June 30, 1999.
The Board recommended the adoption of the report and requested that it be forwarded to the
Budget Committee for consideration of funding in the 1999 fiscal year, and subsequently to
City Council for adoption.
--------
(Report dated June 12, 1998, addressed to the
Board of Health from the
Medical Officer of Health)
Purpose:
This report requests approval from the Board of Health for purchase of service contracts for
the AIDS Committee of Toronto and YOUTHLINK Inner City.
Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:
The AIDS purchase of service budget was approved in the 1998 Operating Budget by City
Council at its special meeting of April 28, 29 and 30, 1998. Of the approved $406,416.00 in
the 1998 budget, 50 percent was spent out in January to fulfill commitments pertaining to
the July 1997 - June 1998 purchase of service cycle; 50 percent is available for payments
related to the funding approval sought in this report, for the period July 1998 - December
1998. Funds in the amount of $128,404.00 for the AIDS Committee of Toronto and
$74,804.00 for YOUTHLINK Inner City are available in Public Health 1998 Operating
Budget, Account No. 734-760-651. The remaining $203,208.00 will be included in the
Public Health 1999 Operating Budget. ($128,404.00 for the AIDS Committee of Toronto
and $74,804.00 for YOUTHLINK Inner City). This split-year funding is a
pre-amalgamation carry-over. Historically, the AIDS purchase of service period has been
July to June; thus, each year the former Toronto City Council allocated funds of
$406,416.00, with 50 percent of the funds being drawn from the next fiscal year.
Recommendations:
(1)that a purchase of service agreement for the provision of HIV/AIDS prevention services
by the AIDS Committee of Toronto be entered into for the period of July 1, 1998 to June 30,
1999, at a cost not to exceed $256,808.00, inclusive of GST;
(2)that a purchase of service agreement for the provision of HIV/AIDS prevention services
by YOUTHLINK Inner City be entered into for the period of July 1, 1998 to June 30, 1999,
at a cost not to exceed $149,608.00, inclusive of GST; and
(3)that the appropriate City of Toronto officials be authorized to take the necessary action to
give effect thereto.
Council Reference/Background/History:
AIDS purchase of service agreements are designed to provide HIV/AIDS prevention
services to communities that are difficult to reach. They play a key role in assisting Public
Health in accessing these communities for the effective delivery of public health services. In
accordance with this principle, renewing the purchase of service agreements with the AIDS
Committee of Toronto and YOUTHLINK Inner City will continue to assist Public Health in
meeting the current needs for HIV/AIDS prevention services in the former City of Toronto.
AIDS purchase of service agreements, in conjunction with AIDS prevention grants, are a
policy-supported, integrated component of Public Health's HIV/AIDS program.
In the current year, AIDS purchase of service funding directly funded 52,000 of the AIDS
Committee of Toronto's direct service contacts and 5,000 of YOUTHLINK Inner City's
client contacts. These two agencies provide significant HIV/AIDS preventive services to
reach high risk populations such as men who have sex with men, street-involved youth and
individuals living with HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS continues to have a major impact upon gay
men and men who have sex with men; the median age of HIV onset is shifting to the youth
population, such that prevention among high risk youth is now critical.
Comments and/or Discussion and/or Justification:
With the support of the purchase of service agreement, the AIDS Committee of Toronto
does targeted HIV prevention work with self-identified gay men, gay men who do not
connect with gay groups, and men who do not self-identify as gay but have sex with men.
HIV/AIDS is still highest among men who have sex with men. The AIDS Committee of
Toronto works collaboratively with a number of HIV/AIDS agencies, community agencies
and groups to develop and deliver a variety of community-based education activities.
The purchase of service agreement also provides support for the AIDS Committee of
Toronto referral services program that links people infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS
with the information and services they need. The AIDS Committee of Toronto maintains a
community referrals database that tracks services related to HIV/AIDS for service users and
service providers, and makes this information available by person, telephone or via the
AIDS Committee of Toronto's web site, and through issue-focussed referral lists that are
produced and regularly updated to meet a variety of needs. A world class library provides a
comprehensive reference service to members of the public, including people infected and
affected, teachers, medical/nursing/social work students and other smaller City-funded
AIDS projects.
The AIDS Committee of Toronto is a credible organization within the community and is
well positioned to reach men who have sex with men and to serve as a centre for information
collection and dissemination. It has appropriate infrastructure and expertise in developing
and delivering effectively targeted education programs. The vast majority of clients live in
the new City. The AIDS Committee of Toronto is currently planning to licence partnerships
and programs in additional areas of the new City. The programs supported through the AIDS
Committee of Toronto's purchase of service agreement involve a substantial number of
volunteers who deliver the majority of the activities.
With the support of the purchase of service agreement, YOUTHLINK Inner City undertakes
targeted HIV prevention work with street-involved youth. As the HIV epidemic evolves,
more infections are occurring in young people. Among young people, street youth are
especially at risk for becoming infected with HIV due to a variety of risk behaviours.
Addiction Research Foundation surveys show high rates of drug use among Toronto
street-involved youth, including sharing of needles. As a group, street-involved youth tend
to have frequent and multiple sexual partners, often engaging in prostitution. Street youth
have high rates of sexually transmitted diseases.
YOUTHLINK was incorporated in 1912 (as Big Sisters Association). Inner City, a division
of YOUTHLINK, was established in 1980 after the murder of Emmanuel Jacques, in
response to a request from the then Metro government and the Province to provide "an
outreach service to street youth in the downtown core of Toronto." During the past 18 years
of service provision, Inner City has grown into a well-respected and extensively utilized
program, reaching approximately 13,000 at risk youth. YOUTHLINK Inner City will
continue to provide HIV/AIDS prevention education and on-going counselling/support to
street youth populations in the former City of Toronto through a variety of outreach and
on-site strategies. Emphasis is downtown, with some service in other high-risk areas of
Toronto.
Appendix A details the services and terms of agreement for the purchase of service
agreements for the AIDS Committee of Toronto and YOUTHLINK Inner City. The services,
terms of agreement and budget for the AIDS Committee of Toronto were developed in
consultation with Joan Anderson, Director of Education and Advocacy; those for
YOUTHLINK Inner City were developed in consultation with Karen Positano, Supervisor,
YOUTHLINK Inner City.
Conclusions:
This report details new community-based AIDS purchase of service agreements to begin in
July 1998, as part of Public Health HIV/AIDS prevention program.
Contact Name:
Liz Janzen, Regional Director, Toronto Office, Toronto Public Health, Tel: 392-7458, Fax:
392-1483
email: ljanzen@city.toronto.on.ca.
--------
Appendix A
A.AIDS Committee of Toronto:
Services:
The parties agree that, for the period July 1, 1998 to June 30, 1999, the AIDS Committee of
Toronto will:
(1)facilitate access to HIV/AIDS-related information, client assessment, referral services
and a range of other programs offered by AIDS Committee of Toronto and external agencies
for people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS through Referral Services, in person and by
telephone; and by the development of specific referral lists for the public and service
providers (e.g., anonymous testing sites);
(2)provide community-based education on HIV prevention and health promotion to
self-identified gay men, gay men who do not connect with gay groups, and men who do not
self-identify as gay but have sex with men, through the following strategies:
(a)develop and deliver specific messages and diverse campaigns that promote the adoption
and maintenance of behaviour change including campaigns focussed on youth, and safer sex
maintenance for HIV positive and HIV negative men, including community
workshops/discussion groups;
(b)develop partnership strategies with community groups serving men who have sex with
men from other language and cultural groups including participation in the Toronto Gay
Men's Education Network;
(c)undertake peer education and outreach to venues such as bars, bathhouses, parks,
youth-oriented social sites and community events such as Lesbian and Gay Pride Day
activities; such education and outreach to be prioritized to fill gaps not being reached by
other HIV prevention projects; explore feasibility of using washroom advertising in venues
frequented by gay men/youth;
(3)provide a professionally managed library with a comprehensive reference collection on
HIV/AIDS available to clients, the general public, students, health care workers, volunteers
and staff of community and government services within the City of Toronto, through the
following strategies:
(a)acquire, organize and provide access to a wide range of current periodicals, books,
videotapes, etc. on HIV/AIDS and related issues, through the use of appropriate collection
development and acquisition policies, bibliographic processing according to accepted
standards, and the production of appropriate and relevant access tools (e.g., catalogues,
guides, bibliographies);
(b)enhance access to the collection through computer-based strategies including online
access to information and current statistics, and electronic resource sharing;
(c)provide reference and first contact service to AIDS Committee of Toronto clients, in
person and by telephone, through personal assistance in forming and answering queries, and
through the production of convenient and easy-to-read information packages on important
subjects, including drug and complementary therapies, opportunistic infections, etc.;
(d)provide reference service to other AIDS service organizations and community groups.
Terms of Agreement:
(1)The parties agree that AIDS Committee of Toronto will be funded by the Corporation of
the City of Toronto for the period July 1, 1998 to June 30, 1999.
(2)AIDS Committee of Toronto agrees to allow its financial accounts relating to the
operation of the program to be audited.
(3)AIDS Committee of Toronto agrees to provide for progress and financial reports on
Public Health specified forms, satisfactory to the Medical Officer of Health.
(4)The parties agree that funds will be payable to AIDS Committee of Toronto as follows:
$128,404.00Upon execution of the Agreement by both parties (July, 1998)
$ 64,202.00Upon receipt of report #2 and invoice (January, 1999)
$ 64,202.00Upon receipt of report #4 and invoice (July, 1999)
__________
$256,808.00
B.YOUTHLINK Inner City:
Services:
The parties agree that, for the period July 1, 1998 to June 30, 1999, YOUTHLINK Inner
City will:
(1)(a)provide daily morning and evening outreach to youth on the street, in order to
communicate HIV/AIDS prevention education, distribute free condoms and latex dams,
exchange needles/syringes, and offer counselling and assistance to help street-involved
youth to overcome barriers and effect behaviour change based on harm reduction strategies
(approximately 4000 youth per year);
(b)conduct weekly HIV/AIDS film/discussion groups and daily informal HIV/AIDS
discussions at the YOUTHLINK Inner City office where approximately 5000 youth per year
receive help in stabilizing their lives which builds self-esteem and consequently promotes
healthy changes in their lives by interrupting dependency on the street lifestyle;
(c)conduct and promote specific HIV/AIDS education targeted at immigrant youth who
frequent the walk-in office who are not seen on the street by the outreach workers. (These
youth frequent the hostel system and 40 percent of in-office clients);
(2)conduct HIV/AIDS prevention and education workshops 6-8 times per month for at-risk
youth in group homes, community centres, etc.;
(3)develop and implement health promotion strategies which ensure the cultural
appropriateness and relevancy of various HIV/AIDS prevention activities (e.g., materials
relevant to the street culture, and posters and novelties which reflect a broad range of
ethno-cultural/racial backgrounds); and
(4)develop leadership initiatives around issues pertinent to street-involved youth by
targeting other pilot neighbourhoods that are under-serviced for youth; undertake a pilot
project in the Queen Street West area during summer 1998 to assess services needed by
homeless youth in the west end of Toronto.
Terms of Agreement:
(1)the parties agree that YOUTHLINK Inner City will be funded by the Corporation of the
City of Toronto for the period July 1, 1998 to June 30, 1999;
(2)YOUTHLINK Inner City agrees to allow its financial accounts relating to the operation
of the program to be audited;
(3)YOUTHLINK Inner City agrees to provide four progress and financial reports on Public
Health specified forms, satisfactory to the Medical Officer of Health; and
(4)the parties agree that funds will be payable to YOUTHLINK Inner City as follows:
$ 74,804.00Upon execution of the Agreement by both parties (July, 1998)
$ 37,402.00Upon receipt of report #2 and invoice. (January, 1999)
$ 37,402.00Upon receipt of report #4 and invoice. (July, 1999)
__________
$149,608.00.