Hiv Alliance

SUPPORTING INDIVIDUALS LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS AND PREVENTING NEW HIV INFECTIONS.

PREVENTION SERVICES:HIV ALLIANCE PROVIDES HIV AND TARGETED HCV PREVENTION SERVICES IN LANE, DOUGLAS, MARION, AND JOSEPHINE, COOS, CURRY AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES, AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN LANE, DOUGLAS, AND MARION COUNTIES. THE PROGRAMS IMPLEMENTED ARE SUPPORTED BY THE CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION, AND ARE EFFECTIVE IN REACHING AT-RISK POPULATIONS AND ENGAGING THOSE POPULATIONS IN HIV PREVENTION. FOR MORE INFORMATION, SEE SCHEDULE O.STI CLINIC AND COMMUNITY PREVENTION PROGRAMS: HIV ALLIANCE REACHES OUT TO POPULATIONS AT HIGH-RISK FOR ACQUIRING HIV, INCLUDING PEOPLE WHO INJECT DRUGS AND GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN. OUTREACH IS CONDUCTED THROUGH SYRINGE EXCHANGE SITES, ONLINE DATING SITES, SOCIAL MEDIA, AND AT PLACES WHERE THEY MEET, SUCH AS CLUBS AND OTHER VENUES. TESTS AVAILABLE ARE RAPID SYPHILIS, HIV, AND HCV. STAFF AND NURSES ARE ALSO TRAINED ON HIV TESTING AND COUNSELING IN ORDER TO PROVIDE TESTING TO THE PARTNERS OF HIV ALLIANCE CLIENTS LIVING WITH HIV THROUGHOUT OUR REGION. HIV ALLIANCE PARTNERS WITH A VARIETY OF ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE REGION TO REACH COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, LGBTQ INDIVIDUALS, UNHOUSED COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND OTHERS WHO LACK ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE. ANNUALLY OUR STAFF DISTRIBUTE OVER 40,000 CONDOMS THROUGH THESE PARTNERSHIPS AND OUTREACH EFFORTS. HIV ALLIANCE ALSO OFFERS AN ACCESSIBLE STI CLINIC, WHICH INCLUDES CHLAMYDIA AND GONORRHEA SCREENING AND ACCESS TO A PROVIDER WHO CAN OFFER PREP. THIS PREP SERVICES INCLUDE A MULTI COUNTY TEAM OF NAVIGATORS TO ASSIST INDIVIDUALS IN ACCESSING PREP BY REMOVING BARRIERS SUCH AS LACK OF INSURANCE AND OFFERING REFERRALS AND INFORMATION. SYRINGE EXCHANGE PROGRAM: PEOPLE WHO INJECT DRUGS ARE AT-RISK FOR CONTRACTING HIV AND HEPATITIS C, AS WELL AS OTHER INJECTION RELATED HEALTH PROBLEMS SUCH AS ABSCESSES, WHEN THEY REUSE OR SHARE SYRINGES AND INJECTION SUPPLIES. THE MOST EFFECTIVE MECHANISM FOR PREVENTING THE SPREAD OF DISEASE IN THIS POPULATION IS TO PREVENT THE REUSE OF SYRINGES. TO DO THIS, HIV ALLIANCE PROVIDED SYRINGE EXCHANGE SERVICES FOR PEOPLE WHO INJECT DRUGS IN COOS, CURRY, DOUGLAS, JOSEPHINE, LANE, MARION, AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES. THESE SERVICES INCLUDE, SAFER INJECTION KITS, NALOXONE KITS, RISK REDUCTION INFORMATION, AND ADDICTION TREATMENT REFERRALS. IN LANE, MARION AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES, HIV ALLIANCE HAS A MOBILE SYRINGE EXCHANGE THAT GOES OUT MULTIPLE TIMES PER WEEK TO AREAS POPULAR AMONG PEOPLE WHO INJECT DRUGS. IN JOSEPHINE, DOUGLAS, COOS AND CURRY COUNTIES WE HAVE FIXED SITES FOR SYRINGE EXCHANGE SERVICES. THIS YEAR, WE EXCHANGED OVER 2,000,000 SYRINGES (COLLECTED AND PROPERLY DISPOSED OF 2,410,205 AND DISTRIBUTED 2,060,268), AND REVERSED A REPORTED 820 OPIOID OVERDOSES THROUGH THE DISTRIBUTION OF NALOXONE KITS.EDUCATION PROGRAM: HIV ALLIANCE PROVIDED COMMUNITY EDUCATION AS WELL AS HIV AND HEPATITIS C RISK REDUCTION TO YOUTH BETWEEN THE AGES OF 13-24. NATIONALLY, YOUTH BETWEEN THE AGES OF 13 AND 24 YEARS OF AGE HAVE ACCOUNTED FOR 21% OF ALL NEW HIV INFECTIONS. HIV ALLIANCE FOUND THIS STATISTIC DISTURBING AND ARE CONTINUOUSLY WORKING TO EXPAND EDUCATION PROGRAMS TO YOUTH. THIS PAST YEAR, HIV ALLIANCE PROVIDED EDUCATION IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN LANE, MARION, AND DOUGLAS COUNTIES. HIV ALLIANCE ALSO ENGAGED WITH LGBTQ+ AND LATINX GROUPS, DETENTION FACILITIES, ALTERNATIVE SCHOOLS, AND OTHER FACILITIES THAT DO NOT HAVE HIV EDUCATION READILY AVAILABLE. THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS REACHED THIS PAST YEAR HAS DECREASED FROM 5,587 IN FY20 TO 4,369 IN FY21 DUE TO CHANGES TO THE SCHOOL SCHEDULES DUE TO COVID. HEPATITIS C CARE COORDINATION SERVICES: IN LANE COUNTY, HIV ALLIANCE PROVIDED CARE COORDINATION SERVICES FOR PREVENTION CLIENTS WHO WERE LIVING WITH HEPATITIS C. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROGRAM WAS TO REDUCE THE BARRIERS TO CARE FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH THIS DISEASE. HIV ALLIANCE'S GOAL WAS TO WORK WITH CLIENTS TO HELP THEM REDUCE THEIR HEPATITIS C VIRAL LOADS TO ZERO. THE MAJORITY OF THESE CLIENTS WERE STRUGGLING WITH CURRENT ADDICTION ISSUES, AND A HIGH PERCENTAGE WERE HOMELESS OR MARGINALLY HOUSED. HIV ALLIANCE ONLY HAD FUNDING TO PROVIDE THIS SERVICE IN LANE COUNTY, AND ANY GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR THESE CLIENTS WAS VERY LIMITED.VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT & TRAINING PROGRAM: VOLUNTEERS HAVE BEEN CRITICAL TO HIV ALLIANCE. NEW VOLUNTEERS WENT THROUGH AN EXTENSIVE TRAINING PROGRAM TO ENABLE THEM TO EFFECTIVELY PARTICIPATE WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION ON A NUMBER OF LEVELS. VOLUNTEERS ACTIVELY HELPED US ACHIEVE OUR MISSION IN ALL MAJOR PROGRAM AREAS. THIS YEAR'S VOLUNTEERS CONTRIBUTED 8,575 HOURS TO A VARIETY OF PROGRAMS, BUT MOST ESPECIALLY IN PREVENTION. PREVENTION SERVICES WAS HIV ALLIANCE'S LARGEST SERVICE AREA, ACCOUNTING FOR 48% OF OUR PROGRAM EXPENDITURES AND 42% OF OUR OVERALL ORGANIZATIONAL EXPENDITURES.

HIV CARE COORDINATION AND CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES:HIV ALLIANCE PROVIDES CARE COORDINATION, NURSING CASE MANAGEMENT, AND PHARMACEUTICAL SUPPORT TO OVER 1,200 PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS IN 14 COUNTIES STRETCHED ACROSS SOUTHERN OREGON, THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY, AND THE COAST. THESE FOURTEEN COUNTIES INCLUDE: LANE, DOUGLAS, LINN, BENTON, JOSEPHINE, LAKE, KLAMATH, JACKSON, COOS, CURRY, LINCOLN, CLATSOP, POLK, AND MARION. FOR MORE INFORMATION, SEE SCHEDULE O.INITIALLY, HIV ALLIANCE WAS FOCUSED ON PROVIDING THESE CARE COORDINATION SERVICES FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV IN LANE COUNTY, HOWEVER, SINCE 2007 OUR SERVICES FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV HAVE GROWN TREMENDOUSLY. THE GOAL OF THESE SERVICES WAS TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV BY INCREASING THEIR ACCESS TO MEDICAL CARE AND SUPPORT SERVICES. OVER 93% OF HIV ALLIANCE'S CLIENTS LIVE ON A LOW-INCOME, AND MANY WHO LIVE IN RURAL REGIONS OF OREGON HAVE SHARED EXPERIENCES WITH HIV-RELATED STIGMA AND DISCRIMINATION. HIV ALLIANCE HAS CARE COORDINATORS THAT ASSIST CLIENTS IN ACCESSING INSURANCE, HOUSING, PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDERS, AS WELL AS MEETING THEIR BASIC NEEDS. PRIVATE FUNDS ARE RAISED TO PROVIDE CLIENTS WITH NON-MEDICAL TRANSPORTATIONS SUPPORT (FOR THINGS SUCH AS JOB INTERVIEWS, GROCERY SHOPPING, ETC.), SOCIAL SUPPORT GROUPS, SPECIAL SEASONAL EVENTS, AS WELL AS TRAINING AND OTHER WELLNESS SERVICES. HIV ALLIANCE HAD FOUR AIDS-CERTIFIED NURSES THAT ASSISTED CLIENTS WITH CRITICAL HIV/AIDS-RELATED HEALTH ISSUES TO GET BACK ON TRACK AND BECOME HEALTHY AGAIN. HIV ALLIANCE PHARMACISTS WORKED WITH CLIENTS THE REGION ON MEDICAL ADHERENCE. THIS YEAR, HIV ALLIANCE HAD 100 PATIENTS SERVED THROUGH THE PHARMACY ADHERENCE PROGRAM IN LANE, DOUGLAS, MARION, JOSEPHINE, AND JACKSON COUNTIES. THE HIV ALLIANCE EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM WORKS WITH PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV WHO WOULD LIKE TO RE-ENTER EMPLOYMENT OR ADVANCE THEIR EMPLOYMENT SKILLS. THE EMPLOYMENT SPECIALISTS PROVIDE COACHING, TRAINING AND SKILL BUILDING ON EMPLOYMENT TOPICS SUCH AS RESUMES AND INTERVIEWS. CLIENTS ARE ALSO OFFERED ASSISTANCE WITH INSURANCE ENROLLMENT AND DENTAL SERVICES IN COLLABORATION WITH LANE COMMUNITY COLLEGE. THE HIV ALLIANCE NOW OFFERS A SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PROGRAM TO PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED HOMELESSNESS AND HAVE MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTION ISSUES. THE PROGRAM OFFERS RENT AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE WHILE PROVIDING A TEAM OF SUPPORT STAFF INCLUDING A NAVIGATOR, PEER, NURSE, AND MENTAL HEALTH SPECIALIST. BY EXPENDITURE, THESE HIV ALLIANCE PROGRAMS ACCOUNTED FOR ROUGHLY 43% OF PROGRAM EXPENDITURES AND 38% OF ORGANIZATIONAL EXPENDITURES OVERALL.

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES:HIV ALLIANCE PROVIDES LOW-BARRIER, TRAUMA-INFORMED MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING AND EVALUATION SERVICES, AS WELL AS REFERRALS FOR THOSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THEIR UNIQUE SUBSTANCE MISUSE/ABUSE ISSUES. FOR MORE INFORMATION, SEE SCHEDULE O.ALLIANCE FOR COMMUNITY WELLNESS: THIS PROGRAM IS FOCUSED TOWARDS ADDRESSING TRAUMA AMONG PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV AND LGTBQ+ INDIVIDUALS. IT WAS PILOTED IN 2015 THROUGH A GRANT OPPORTUNITY WITH LANE COUNTY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES. THESE SERVICES FURTHER OUR MISSION BY SUPPORTING THE MENTAL HEALTH OF INDIVIDUALS LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS, AND PROVIDE CULTURALLY SENSITIVE AND COMPETENT SERVICES TO THE GREATER LGBTQ+ AND HIV POSITIVE COMMUNITIES. THIS PAST YEAR, HIV ALLIANCE WAS ABLE TO ASSIST 52 CLIENTS. TYPES OF ASSISTANCE INCLUDE ASSESSING HORMONE THERAPY, SECURING PERMANENT CITIZENSHIP, AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING. BY EXPENDITURE, OUR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROGRAM ACCOUNTED FOR ROUGHLY 9% OF OUR PROGRAM EXPENDITURES AND 8% OF ORGANIZATIONAL EXPENDITURES OVERALL. THE ALLIANCE FOR COMMUNITY WELLNESS ALSO UTILIZES RECOVERY PEERS WHO WORK IN FOUR OREGON COUNTIES. THESE PEERS WORK WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE AT HIGH RISK FOR HIV AND HCV DUE TO ADDICTION AND OTHER FACTORS. LAST FY THEY PROVIDED REFERRAL, NAVIGATION, COACHING AND MENTORING TO 360 INDIVIDUALS THROUGHOUT THE REGION. THE OR HOPES PROGRAM PROVIDES PEERS IN DOUGLAS AND JOSEPHINE COUNTIES TO INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE AT RISK FOR HIV AND THOSE ENROLLED IN HCV TREATMENT.