Prevention Programs

Prevention Programs target populations at increased risk of HIV infection or transmission as well as those affected by stigma by offering specially-designed interventions that provide a supportive, educational environment in which harm reduction & empowerment can be effective.

Some of SAAF’s targeted populations include: youth, men who have sex with men (MSM), lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth, people living with HIV/AIDS, women, jail/prison re-entry men, and communities of color.

HIV, sexually transmitted infections, substance abuse, and hepatitis prevention strategies include individual risk-reduction counseling, health education and empowerment workshops, risk-reduction support groups, peer education training, social activities, drop-in lounge, referrals, and distribution of free condoms and safer-sex materials.

Prevention Programs for Adults

Syringe Access Program (SAP)

SAAF’s Syringe Access Program (SAP) provides information, education and referrals on HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections to adults who are current or former drug users.

The exchange is 1 for 1. Participants can always receive at least 10 syringes, even if they don’t have any to exchange. You can exchange up to 100 syringes per visit. When available, we may also offer alcohol wipes, cookers, cottons, tourniquets, waters, bleach, split kits, wound care kits, & hygiene kits.

SAP days, hours, and location are:
Monday & Wednesday 4:00-7:00pm
375 S Euclid Ave

Please arrive by 6:45pm to ensure you get served.  We are closed on major holidays.  

Life Point, run through the Pima County Health Department, also offers syringe access services at two locations.

Mondays 9:00 am–12:00 pm
Theresa Lee Public Health Center
1493 W. Commerce Court,  85745
West-side door
Preparedness, Surveillance, & Investigation entrance.

Tuesdays 10:00 am–2:00 pm
East Clinic
6020 E. Broadway Blvd, Suite B, 85710

Fridays 10:00 am–2:00 pm
North Clinic
3550 N. 1st Ave., 85719

For more information, call Life Point at 520-724-3958

Prevention Programs for Youth

YELL

The Youth Empowerment and LGBTQ Leadership (YELL) Program is a substance abuse prevention program, that with the help of the community-based coalition, implements a wide variety of strategies to educate about prescription drug and alcohol misuse among youth between the ages of 13 and 24. This program uses both lecture-based and activity-based teaching styles in order to accommodate for the different learning styles between students.

While we focus on LGBTQ youth, their heterosexual and cisgender peers are also voices in our youth leadership team and attend life-skills classes across Tucson. We’re hoping that this encourages the LGBTQ youth and the allies to educate their peers, family members, and other community members.

The coalition and youth leadership team help to develop public information and social marketing campaigns, by way of Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook. They also develop presentations for parents and trusted adult supports of youth who may be misusing prescription drugs or alcohol. The coalition, also, assists in sending out Community Surveys to people 12 years and older regarding alcohol and drug use. The data collected from these surveys, presentations, and classes help the YELL Program team to develop more presentations and activities.

For more information, please contact:
Emerson Kuhn, Youth Services Manager, at: ekuhn@saaf.org or (520) 547-6109

ALLY

The ALLY (Arizona’s Life Links for Youth) Program is a program focused on reducing the rate of attempted and completed suicides among Arizona’s youth, primarily focusing on LGBTQ+ youth, ages 13-24, in Pima and neighboring counties. The ALLY Program is comprised of two components: peer leadership development and gatekeeper training. Peer leadership development is taught using the Sources of Strength curriculum and additional activities and exercises. Gatekeeper training is available to any community member, regardless of age, and is taught using the QPR (Question, Persuade, and Refer) model of suicide prevention. Additionally, the ALLY Program serves as a collaborative partner with The University of Arizona Museum of Art through Mapping Q, a social justice initiative aimed to reduce suicides among LGBTQ+ youth through art creation and expression.

For more information, please contact:
Emerson Kuhn, Youth Services Manager, at: ekuhn@saaf.org or (520) 547-6109

Eon

The Eon Youth Center is a youth-driven program that works to strengthen Tucson’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, two-spirit, queer, questioning, intersexed, and straight-ally youth communities by creating social opportunities, providing information and support on health issues, advocating for youth rights, and challenging society’s perceptions of youth as they face institutionalized oppressions that target the many facets of their identities. Eon provides a safe drop-in space for these youth, ages 13-24, and conducts outreach and education throughout the community.

For more information, please contact:
Eon on Facebook: @EONYouth