Face To Face Sonoma County Aids Network

OUR MISSION IS ENDING HIV IN SONOMA COUNTY WHILE SUPPORTING THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS.SINCE OUR BEGINNING IN 1983, FACE TO FACE HAS ADDRESSED THE EVER-CHANGING CHALLENGES PRESENTED BY THE HIV EPIDEMIC IN SONOMA COUNTY.TO THIS END, WE OFFER HIV PREVENTION EDUCATION AND SERVICES TO SONOMA COUNTY AND WE EMPOWER CLIENTS LIVING WITH HIV WITH SUPPORTIVE SERVICES INCLUDING HOUSING ASSISTANCE, BENEFITS COUNSELING, INFORMATION, REFERRALS, AND TRANSPORTATION. WE STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH OUTREACH, EDUCATION AND HIV POLICY ADVOCACY ON A LOCAL AND NATIONAL LEVEL.THE HIV/AIDS ENVIRONMENT IS CHANGING DUE TO ADVANCES IN MEDICAL CARE. AN HIV DIAGNOSIS IS NO LONGER AN IMMINENT DEATH SENTENCE. INSTEAD, THE FOCUS BECOMES ELIMINATING NEW INFECTIONS AND SUPPORTING HIV/AIDS-AFFECTED INDIVIDUALS SO THAT THEY CAN LIVE AN INDEPENDENT AND HEALTHY LIFE FOR MANY YEARS. FACE TO FACE IS COMMITTED TO PROVIDING THE ESSENTIAL CARE NECESSARY TO HELP RECONNECT OUR CLIENTS WITH THEIR

CARE SERVICES - THE GOAL OF OUR CARE SERVICES PROGRAM IS TO ENCOURAGE WELL-BEING, HEALING AND INDEPENDENCE FOR EVERYONE WE SERVE. WE RECOGNIZE THAT FOR AN INDIVIDUAL TO MAINTAIN MEDICAL CARE, ADHERENCE TO MEDICATIONS, AND HEALTHY LIVING, THEY NEED TO BE FREE OF MAJOR LIFE STRESSES. WE PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT TO ASSIST OUR CLIENTS WITH CHALLENGES THEY FACE. WE OFFER BENEFITS COUNSELING AND EMERGENCY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE SO THAT THOSE TOO ILL TO WORK HAVE ACCESS TO REGULAR INCOME. ADDITIONALLY, WE DELIVER HOMELESS PREVENTION SERVICES, HOUSING ASSISTANCE, AND PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING TO ASSURE THAT OUR CLIENTS ARE STABLY HOUSED. THE NATIONAL AIDS HOUSING COALITION REPORTS THAT FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV, HOUSING IS ONE OF THE STRONGEST PREDICTORS OF THEIR ACCESS TO TREATMENT, THEIR HEALTH OUTCOMES, AND HOW LONG THEY WILL LIVE.ADDITIONAL SERVICES OFFERED INCLUDE TRANSPORTATION TO MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS AND SPECIALIZED SERVICES FOR WOMEN, TRANSGENDER, FAMILIES AND THE LATINX COMMUNITY. WE HELP OUR CLIENTS STAY LINKED TO MEDICAL CARE, SO THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO ACHIEVE AND MAINTAIN AN UNDETECTABLE VIRAL LOAD.

PREVENTION & EDUCATION - THE GOAL OF OUR PREVENTION & EDUCATION PROGRAM IS TO REACH THOSE AT HIGHEST RISK OF HIV INFECTION WITH PROVEN INTERVENTION STRATEGIES, STRONG SUPPORTIVE MESSAGING, EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS AND CONDOMS. IN 2015, WE STARTED A SYRINGE SERVICES PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES STERILE INJECTING AND SMOKING EQUIPMENT AND PROPER DISPOSAL FOR PEOPLE WHO INJECT DRUGS; OVERDOSE PREVENTION EDUCATION INCLUDING NALOXONE DISTRIBUTION AND FENTANYL TEST STRIPS; AND ACCESS TO CARE AND TREATMENT FOR SUBSTANCE USE. OUR SYRINGE & OVERDOSE PREVENTION SERVICE PROGRAM IS THE LARGEST IN SONOMA COUNTY SERVING OVER 4,000 PEOPLE WHO INJECT DRUGS, ALONG WITH THEIR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS. OUR PROGRAM ALSO SERVES PEOPLE FROM NEIGHBORING COUNTIES, INCLUDING LAKE, MENDOCINO, NAPA, AND SOLANO COUNTIES.

PREP (PRE-EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS) WE ARE NOW A COVERED ENTITY UNDER THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS 340B DRUG PRICING PROGRAM WHICH ENABLES US TO WORK WITH A TELE-HEALTH COMPANY TO PRESCRIBE PREP, PRE-EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS. THIS IS A WAY TO PREVENT HIV AND IS UP TO 99% EFFECTIVE WHEN MEDICATIONS ARE TAKEN CORRECTLY. WITH PREP, PEOPLE WHO ARE HIV-NEGATIVE CAN TAKE A MEDICATION ONCE A DAY, OR AN INJECTION ONCE EVERY TWO MONTHS, TO REDUCE RISK OF GETTING INFECTED IF THEYRE EXPOSED TO HIV. THIS IS IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE NATIONAL HIV/AIDS STRATEGY, AND THE STATE OF CALIFORNIAS GETTING TO ZERO PLAN. OUR GOAL IS TO PROVIDE INFORMATION AND ACCESS TO PREP TO ALL PEOPLE IN SONOMA COUNTY AT RISK FOR HIV.