Denver is in our ELEMENT

By Pieter Tolsma

I’ve spent a lot of time explaining what The Denver ELEMENT is all about, and how we’re trying to break down the walls of HIV stigma and substance abuse and I’ll be honest: It’s not as easy as you might think. We aren’t just another organization throwing condoms around and begging you to get tested (although condoms are great, and knowing your status is just basic self-care.) Our mission is actually bigger and broader: We want to engage the entire community, rather than fight to be memorable when you’re about to pull some lucky fellow.

First off, let’s talk basics. The Denver ELEMENT is a program of Mile High Behavioral Healthcare and is grant-funded by a few government programs that work with gay and bisexual men for the ultimate purpose of reducing the spread of HIV, which is awesome. The slant in our programs is simply a greater engagement of the individual as a whole. Our youth program, Denver PIQUE, is for 18 – 24 year old gay/bi guys, and creates a social network to support the younger ones as they come into their own with substance-free activities and some HIV-prevention education. When so much in the gay community seems to involve alcohol, a chance to learn who you are and make friends without a drink in your hand is something everyone deserves.

Our Positive Impact program is for poz gay/bi guys who have ever injected drugs. Sound intense? It can be, but only because this population is essentially invisible and its needs are often ignored. The point of Positive Impact is to workshop disclosure skills so everyone can live more openly, honestly, and with less stress. (As anyone who has had serious health concerns knows, stress and anxiety are miserable.)

Last up is our Mile High Recovery Project, which is concerned specifically with holistic health for those who have struggled with injection drug use — primarily meth and stimulants. But what does holistic health really mean? It means approaching care for the entire individual … to talk about stress, nutrition, community, and substance use rather than just the use alone.

What else? The Denver ELEMENT is currently working to expand its reach by adding a new program to take our services even further into the lives of the community through more pointedly addressing the emotional and interpersonal needs of those whose lives we touch. The end game is that the community is stronger and more empowered through our efforts.

Who is this “community?” The community is more than just the gay and bi men we meet; it includes their support systems, and those they love. We here at The Denver ELEMENT believe that the secret to self-improvement is to accept people where they are, show them how to enrich and protect their own lives and those of their support system, and finally teach how to give back to a world that loves and needs them. Community is what we do.