Concerned About MonkeyPox?
Update: Mpox vaccine appointments in Nova Scotia on hold for now!
Check out our Mpox information page.
Welcome to ACNS …
ACNS continues to use Phase 2 guidelines until further notice.
Appointments are recommended, as we will still limit numbers in the office. Masks and physical distancing are still required by ACNS. Hand sanitizer is available inside the building entrance, on each floor, and in our office.
We can provide masks, hand sanitizer, and disinfecting wipes for visitors who need them. Clients are only allowed in the waiting room and the Support Services office – if they need something in another room, they will need to ask a member of staff to get it for them.
While we are taking the provincial re-opening plan into account, we are also being hyper-aware that many of our clients are vulnerable and may wish to move forward at a slower pace. We will continue to monitor the situation and make adjustments based on client feedback and regular re-assessments.
Client Support …
For clients not comfortable accessing us in person we will continue to offer contactless support and services by phone, text or email. The Making Ends Meet (MEM) program will also continue to be available via contactless delivery or office pick up.
To arrange for a MEM delivery - or for general Client Support, contact the Support and Programs Coordinator, Dylan, at pc@acns.ns.ca, Cell: 902-403-7841 (voice + text) or 902.425.4882 ext 225 / 1-800-566-2437 ext 225.
Staff Directory
Dylan Samson, Support Coordinator: pc@acns.ns.ca, Cell: 902.403.7841 or 902.425.4882 ext 225
Hanley Smith, 2S/TNB+ Folx Coordinator: to.recruiter1@acns.ns.ca, 902.425.4882 ext 226
Jordan Parker, Fund Development: fund@acns.ns.ca, 902-240-7384
Ned MacInnis, Program Support: ps@acns.ns.ca, 902.425.4882 ext 224
Chris Aucoin, Executive Director: ed@acns.ns.ca, 902.425.4882 ext 227
Black Lives Matter
June 5, 2020
The board and staff of the AIDS Coalition of Nova Scotia stand with activists across Canada, the United States and around the world fighting against anti-Black racism and police violence.
We stand in solidarity with activists, individuals and communities who are impacted by the deaths of George Floyd (Minneapolis), Tony McDade (Tallahassee), Regis Korchinski-Paquet (Toronto) and others. We support the call for an independent inquiry into Regis Korchinski-Paquet’s death. We support the call for charges to be dropped against Santina Rao. We support the call for the implementation of the African Nova Scotian Policing Strategy.
This week ACNS has made the decision to pause our usual social media content in support of prioritizing Black voices and promoting racial justice.
Anti-Black racism is a pervasive and systemic problem in Nova Scotia that causes harm in many ways. We have seen this in our own work, as systemic racism in Canada has created inequities that leave African, Caribbean and Black Canadians more vulnerable to HIV infection. We have seen anti-Black racism in the disproportionate policing and criminalization of African, Caribbean and Black people by police forces in Nova Scotia, and we know disproportionate incarceration rates have a compounding effect on the risk of HIV and hepatitis C infection.
Anti-Black racism has long been entrenched in our education, healthcare, political and legal systems. It is also entrenched in the work of not-for-profits and charities. Earlier this year ACNS began a process to create an intersectional and anti-oppressive framework to address how our board and staff work with and for all members of the priority communities regarding HIV – including African, Caribbean and Black Nova Scotians.
Beyond this week, ACNS is committed to ongoing education and dialogue within our own organization, and in the broader HIV and sexual health sector in Nova Scotia to confront anti-Black racism. We invite our allies in Nova Scotia and beyond to join us in this important and ongoing work.
Black Lives Matter
What to expect when you contact us
What happens varies a bit depending on whether you call, email or drop in to see us.
But one thing you can be sure of – we won’t ask your name, or require you to give personal details that you feel uncomfortable giving. If it’s your first time looking for…
Living with HIV
People with HIV are now living longer and with better quality of life than ever before.
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Programs & Services we offer
ACNS offers a wide variety of programs and services targeted to our diverse communities.
You’ll find everything from knowledge sharing and prevention techniques, to workshops, support and programs for individuals, community groups and health professionals…
About HIV, HCV and Other STIs
Safer sex is much more than using a condom.
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