Item:
Title
Recognition of Brad Caison as Durham County’s HIV Navigator and Bridget Nelson as Durham County’s New Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Resilience Coordinator (10min)
Body
Date of BOCC Meeting: October 13, 2025
Request for Board Action:
Agenda Text
The Board is requested to recognize Brad Caison as Durham County’s HIV Navigator and Bridget Nelson as Durham County’s new Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Resilience Coordinator.
Brad Caison joined the Durham County Department of Public Health (DCoDPH) in September 2024 as the HIV Navigator, with a Master of Public Health (Leadership in Practice) and years of experience in health promotion, program management, and community engagement. One key responsibility of the HIV Navigator role is to facilitate the Fast Track Cities Durham Initiative, which is grounded in achieving the 95-95-95 targets. These measures were goals set by the United Nations to end the HIV epidemic and aim to achieve three things: for 95% of people living with HIV to know their status, with 95% of those people being retained in care, and 95% of people retained in care becoming virally suppressed.
Taking the opportunity to reimagine the work of Fast Track Cities Durham (FTCD), Brad realigned the mission, vision, and structure to reflect new priorities and concerns addressed by the community through a series of community forums and workshops he facilitated in his early tenure as HIV Navigator. Through these forums and robust conversations, a new model for FTCD took shape that has created more opportunities for voice and leadership from Durham community members. Multiple programmatic successes have occurred under this new model of engagement for FTCD, including inaugural programmatic implementation such as “DCo Does PRIDE,” as well as the formation of two separate FTCD subcommittees led by community facilitators chosen by fellow FTCD members for their outstanding contributions.
Additionally, as DCoDPH’s HIV Navigator, Brad works with community members and HIV professionals across the HIV continuum of care to improve outcomes related to HIV for all Durham residents. Brad is heavily involved with outreach testing operations led by his colleagues in Health Education. He has also spent considerable time in the community addressing topics related to HIV prevention and treatment, overall sexual well-being, and stigma through educational workshops and trainings for both community members and providers. Brad also has extensive involvement in cross-collaborations between various providers and system partners working to advance priorities related to HIV and access to health services, including a collaborative among providers at DCoDPH and Duke to reengage patients lost to care, as well as serving as the Co-Chair for Access to Care under the Partnership for a Healthy Durham.
Bridget Nelson joins the Durham County Department of Public Health with their Master of Public Health (Health Equity, Social Justice, and Human Rights) from the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health. They have six years of public health experience, including work as a Training Specialist, Project Coordinator, Program Evaluator, Community Liaison, Gender and Sexuality Liaison, and Data Analyst. As the new Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Resilience Coordinator, Bridget will organize and facilitate activities for the Durham Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Resilience Taskforce (DART), a cross-sector collaborative created by community stakeholders and the Board of County Commissioners to focus on addressing ACEs and promoting resilience across the county.
As part of their work, Bridget will also contribute to the integration of trauma-informed services and education into county and community activities, including organizing the annual Trauma-Informed Care Conference for medical providers and other high-contact populations. By identifying avenues for building community resilience, Bridget’s work will improve individual and community health outcomes for all.
Both the HIV Navigator and the ACEs and Resilience Coordinator positions are county funded and sit within the Health Education Division of the Department of Public Health. This agenda item requires no additional County funds.
Alignment with Strategic Plan: This item aligns with Durham County Strategic Goal: Healthy and Inclusive Community.
Resource Persons: Dr. Rodney Jenkins, DrPH, MHA, Public Health Director
County Manager’s Recommendation: The County Manager recommends that the Board recognize Brad Caison as Durham County’s HIV Navigator and Bridget Nelson as Durham County’s new Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Resilience Coordinator.
Signature
County Manager: ____________________________