Linking Newly Diagnosed Persons to Care Using Strengthsbased Case Management

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Linking Newly Diagnosed Persons to Care Using
Strengths-based Case Management

• Louisiana Office of Public Health,
  HIV/AIDS Program
• Volunteers of America, Greater Baton Rouge, Inc.
• Family Service of Greater Baton Rouge

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Baton Rouge Region
Baton Rouge Region
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Why Baton Rouge?

• Baton Rouge has been disproportionately impacted
  by the HIV/AIDS epidemic
• In 2004, Baton Rouge tied for 3rd highest AIDS
  case rates among metropolitan cities and New
  Orleans ranked 6th.
• Of the 1,113 persons newly detected with HIV/AIDS
  in Louisiana in 2004, 260 (23) were detected in
  the Baton Rouge Region
• In the Baton Rouge region in 2004, 36 of newly
  diagnosed persons had progressed to an AIDS
  diagnosis within 12 months

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HIV System of Care Baton Rouge

• Public HIV CT Sites
• STD Clinics
• Earl K. Long Medical Center
• Community-Based Organizations
• County Jail
• Primary Medical Care
• Earl K. Long Medical Center (Title II and III)
• Capital City Community Health Center (Title II
  and III)
• Case Management
• Family Service of GBR (Title II and IV)
• Volunteers of America, GBR, Inc.(Title II and IV)

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Key Players in ARTAS

• Newly Diagnosed HIV Individuals
• Two Community-Based Organizations
• (Volunteers of America, GBR, Inc. and Family
  Service of GBR)
• 14 HIV Counseling and Testing Sites
• Louisiana Office of Public Health, HIV/AIDS
  Program

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  ARTAS INTAKE MODEL      
  Self/Other Referral
 Centralized Intake Coordinator
FSGBR Linkage Coord
VOA Linkage Coord
EKL and Capitol City
 Counseling Testing Sites B
Counseling Testing Sites A
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Accomplishments

• Staffing
• Referrals
• 78 clients enrolled
• 14 referring sites (majority were referred by STD
  Clinic)
• Clients linked to primary medical care
• As of 6/30/06, 41 clients had been enrolled in
  ARTAS for at least six months of these, 37 had
  successfully been linked to PMC (90) within this
  period.

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Accomplishments

• Strengths-based case management -- holistic
  approach to address multiple barriers
• Successfully transitioned clients into long-term
  case management

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Challenges

• Lengthy start-up phase
• Initially, challenge in receiving referrals
• Lack of consistency in receiving referrals from
  sites while client is still present
• Difficulty in contacting clients

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Strategies to Overcome Challenges

• Continued contact with referring sites
• Keep them informed of changes or new information
• Meet and inform new staff of Linkages Project
• Information cards and brochures
• Foster relationships with other service providers

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Strategies to Overcome Challenges

• Initiate contact with client while present for
  post-test results
• Provide on-site schedule of Linkage Coordinators
• If CT services are regularly scheduled, have
  Linkages Coordinator available on-site
• Efforts to reach clients
• Flexibility in meeting clients in alternative
  sites
• Multiple methods to contact client
• Re-contact referring site for new information

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Future Steps

• Incorporation of SBCM practices in RWCA Title
  II-funded case management services
• New forms and protocols
• CM Training
• Continuation of Linkages CM model

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• Questions/Comments?
• Family Service of Greater Baton Rouge
• Yolanda Smith
• 225-328-6278
• Volunteers of America, Greater Baton Rouge, Inc.
• Candace Walters
• 225-922-3900
• LA OPH HIV/AIDS Program
• DeAnn Gruber or Shawn Johnson
• 504-568-7474