Transcript ActionAIDS ActionAIDS  A Philadelphia-based Organization in partnership with people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS, working to sustain and enhance quality of.

ActionAIDS
ActionAIDS
 A Philadelphia-based Organization in partnership with
people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS, working to
sustain and enhance quality of life.
 Provides a wide range of direct services
 Takes an active and professional approach to leadership
in service, education and advocacy.
ActionAIDS Clinical Programs
Housing
Case
Management
Prevention
Education
& Testing
Housing Services
ActionAIDS
The Community
 Homelessness and lack of affordable housing are
critical issues for many people living in and around
this city, state, country and beyond.
ActionAIDS
 The staff, board members, volunteers and
consumers of ActionAIDS all recognize that most
people living with HIV/AIDS report that housing
is a critical aspect of their physical, mental and
overall well-being.
Department Mission
 The Housing Department is dedicated to reducing
and preventing homelessness, as well as promoting
economic and self-sufficiency amongst people
living with HIV/AIDS.
Department Mission
 Housing specialists work with consumers to
develop a goal plan and to identify interim steps to
meet the consumer’s ultimate goal of attaining
safe, secure and affordable housing.
ActionAIDS Housing Department
In 1991, ActionAIDS hired the agency’s first
Housing Specialist and since then the department
has grown to six Housing Specialists who serve
over 600 individuals and families each year.
The Department’s Goal
 The Housing Department is dedicated to reducing
and preventing homelessness, as well as promoting
economic and self-sufficiency.
Housing Services
 Housing Services are provided for consumers
who are living with HIV/AIDS
and their household family members.
Role of Housing Specialist
 Assist in applying for and managing applications
for affordable, low income, subsidized and/or
transitional programs
 Assist with tenant/landlord issues
 Help clients apply for low-income utility programs
 Budget counseling
Casa Nueva Vida
 In 2004, ActionAIDS opened Casa Nueva Vida.
Casa Nueva Vida consists of 12 apartments which,
offer Supportive Housing to homeless families
living with HIV.
Positive Living
 In 2006, ActionAIDS introduced the Positive
Living housing program. The Positive Living
program provides subsidized housing to 22
individuals and families.
Positive Living and CNV
 Applicants must be homeless and living with
HIV/AIDS. In addition to providing housing, both
Casa Nueva Vida and Positive Living offer case
management, vocational services, life skills
training and in-home supports.
HOPWA
 The HOPWA program is independent housing,
which provides rental assistance for eligible
clients. The waiting list for this program is
maintained by The AIDS Activities Coordinating
Office. Applicants must have an AIDS diagnosis.
Harbor Project
 ActionAIDS partnership with Pathways to
Housing “Housing First” program. ActionAIDS
provides the Case Management Services for this
program.
Medical Case Management
 Medical Case Management is ActionAIDS’ core
service and serves over 3,000 individuals and
families each year out of over 35 locations. Our
medical case managers are trained in various
disciplines including social work, psychology,
sociology and nursing and represent a diverse
group of professionals.
Case Management
Specialists in the Deaf & Hard of Hearing, Drug and
Alcohol Addiction, Families, LGBT, Immigration,
Mental Health, Nursing, Perinatal Care, Prison
Systems, Women and Youth Services.
Medical Case Management
 Establishing and maintaining trust through one-on-
one relationships, case managers and clients work
together to coordinate care, navigate through
complex governmental systems, and access
medical, social, legal, and emergency services.
Case Management
Prisons today account for the largest concentration of
people living HIV and AIDS. ActionAIDS provides
case management, prevention, and outreach within
the county prisons and keeps prisoners connected
with medical and social services upon their release.
Harm Reduction Model
 The agency supports a harm reduction model –
embodying the notion of meeting the consumer
where they are to help the consumer create a goal
plan that is incremental and manageable.
What is Housing First?
 The Housing First model involves offering rental
assistance for individuals who are chronically
homeless and living with a serious mental health
diagnosis.
 The model serves individuals who are actively
engaging in substance abuse, as long as they fit the
above criteria.
Why is Housing First Necessary?
 All federally funded housing programs require the
residents and family members to be drug free- this
creates barriers to housing for many vulnerable
populations.
Why is Housing First necessary?
 Housing First allows the grantee to be the primary
lease holder, as well as, the customer responsible
for utility services.
 There are some housing options for people who
have an AIDS diagnosis, as well as some that
require applicants to be asymptomatic.
Program Eligibility
 Eligible clients must meet the Federal definition of
chronically homeless, live with HIV/AIDS and
have an Axis I Mental Health diagnosis
 Can include individuals actively engaging in
substance (as long as first 2 criterion are met).
Definition of Homeless
 Homeless individual lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate
nighttime residence- has a primary nighttime residence that
is in a publicly or privately operated shelter designed to
provide temporary living accommodations and transitional
housing;
 or is in an institution that provides a temporary residence;
 or stays in public or private place not designed for or
ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for
human beings.
Chronic Homeless
 Chronic Homeless individuals are individuals who
are homeless continually for one full year or
individuals who have had 4 episodes of
homelessness in the past 3 years-documented by
records from a homeless shelter.
Program Goals
 To provide independent housing to:
 people living with HIV/AIDS and
 who are chronically homeless
 and who have co-occurring mental health &
substance abuse issues.
Housing First Program Objectives
 Clients will be more likely to participate in outpatient
behavioral health services
 Clients will be more adherent to medical treatment(s)
and medication regimens.
 Increase family and social interactions
Pathways to Housing service Model
 Harbor Project is a reproduction of the Pathways to
Housing Program that originated in New York
City, which includes:
 “Evidence-based” practice of Assertive
Community Treatment (ACT)
 “Best” practice of immediate access to supportive
housing
 Harm Reduction Model of Recovery
Homelessness Statistics
 Philadelphia’s Office of Emergency Shelter and
Services serves approximately 14,986 homeless
people through its emergency shelter system, each
year.
Harm Reduction Model of Recovery
 Is defined by any decrease in substance use is a
positive step
 Some individuals will only be able to attain
sobriety through long term support engagement.
Daily Costs of services utilized by
homeless individuals
 Inpatient hospital stay = $1285
 Psychiatric hospital = $700
 Emergency Room Visit =$200
 Detox = $200
 Prison = $75
 Emergency Shelter =36
 Permanent Supportive Housing =$28
Treatment Team
 Multi-Disciplinary team which includes:
 ActionAIDS Medical Case Manager
 Pathways Service Coordinators
 Psychiatrist
 Nurses
 Mental Health, D&A and Vocational Specialist
Housing
 Clients are provided a one bedroom apartment, that
are scattered throughout the city. This "scattered
site" model fosters a sense of home and selfdetermination, and it helps speed the reintegration
of Pathways’ clients into the community.
Housing First @ ActionAIDS
 Program Capacity: 20
 Accepted the first clients April 2012
Housing First Challenges
 Locating people who are Chronically Street
Homeless
 Locating appropriate housing for clients
 Tenant’s issues with neighbors and/or landlord
Moving in!
 Clients receive a move in kit, which includes the
necessities for daily care and new home.
Outcomes
 Harbor Project outcomes have yet to be measure.
Upon one year of services ActionAIDS will
provide measurable outcomes.
 Other Housing First Programs throughout the
country report 78% reduction in inpatient
admission with their clients, after being housed.
References
 McCarroll, Christina, Pathways to housing the
homeless, The Christian Science Monitor, May 1,
2002.
 Tsemberis & Eisenberg, Pathways to Housing:
Supported Housing for Street-Dwelling Homeless
Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities,
Psychiatric Services, Vol 51, No.4, April 2000
Questions