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Client
Services
Client Services
Eligibility
- Proof of HIV Diagnosis
- Proof of Louisiana Residency
- Income that does not exceed 200% of the FPG
For more information on client services offered at Acadiana CARES, or to schedule intake for case management services, please contact Barry LaFleur, Director of Client Services at 337.233.2437 ext. 135.
Case Management
Case management is the lynchpin that keeps CARES clients in care, stably housed, and/or clean and sober. Over 25 years we have learned that the HIV epidemic is inextricably linked to unstable housing, substance use including intravenous drug use, mental illness and unsafe sex. When agencies chose to address one challenge at the expense of related challenges, the unaddressed challenges often overwhelm the limited prevention efforts.
The CARES of today has many different types of case managers because we have many different types of clients. Irrespective of the client, all case managers refer people to an array of services including homelessness//HIV/STD prevention, primary medical care, mental illness and substance abuse treatment and housing. Case managers also help people identify barriers to services and strategies for overcoming those barriers.
All of the CARES case managers are generalists, but they are also all specialists. One case manager focuses on people living with HIV that have fallen out of care because that population is so prone to suffering declines into poor health at great costs to themselves and society. One case manager specializes in people that are not known to be living with HIV, but who are at great risk of HIV/STD infection because of unstable lives. One set of case managers specializes in providing clients services through the Ryan White CARES ACT for bringing people living with HIV into care and creating stability in their lives so that they can live their lives to the fullest and not infect others. CARES provides case management for almost half of all people living with HIV/AIDS in Public Health Region IV and a tremendous number of people at risk of HIV/STD infection. CARES also has a case manager on duty during all HIV testing times to ensure that even people who don’t qualify for a particular program are brought into care and get all the social service supports they need.
Red Ribbon Medication Assistance
The medication assistance program uses Red Ribbon funds to assist individuals with Non-HIV medications. Persons should have no insurance and very low or no income. These funds help people obtain medications that are not available through the AIDS Drug Assistance Program or Patient Assistance Programs and medications that are not covered by private insurance, Medicaid or Medicare.
Oral Health Care
The Oral Health Care program links people to dental providers in the area and pays for dental services, such as cleanings, extractions, fillings, and dentures. People living with HIV/AIDS frequently have dental and periodontal needs that should be considered part of primary care for them.
Transportation Assistance
We help people access transportation to primary medical care appointments and social services, for example, appointments to help people living with HIV/AIDS stay in care and maintain a good quality of life. Transportation assistance can be bus passes, taxis, linkages with transportation providers in the area, and volunteers.
 Direct Financial Assistance
Direct Financial Assistance provides people with short-term financial assistance for mortgages, rent, utilities and other critical need payments to prevent homelessness because unstable housing is a predictor of poverty, substance abuse, HIV/STD infections and many other public health challenges.
Food Bank
The Food Bank provides food and nutritional supplements to supplement food stamps and other nutrition assistance programs. These individuals must meet the income guidelines set forth by Second Harvest. All human beings benefit from wholesome food, but people living with HIV/AIDS must have a healthy diet to maintain their health. For more information, please visit www.secondharvest.org.
Housing Opportunities for
People with AIDS (HOPWA)·
- Short-term Rent Mortgage and Utility (STRMU) is a financial assistance program specifically for people living with HIV. It provides emergency housing assistance for expenses such as rent, mortgage and utilities. STRMU beneficiaries may receive up to 5 emergency payments in a 52 week period.
- Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) is a financial assistance program for people living with HIV. It is intended to provide on-going financial assistance to persons in stable housing. Persons eligible for TBRA should have some form of income and be able to cover 30% of their living expenses (i.e. utilities).
Both STRMU and TBRA are important because they prevent vulnerable people living with HIV from becoming homeless. HIV antiretroviral regimens are difficult to maintain without the hardship of homelessness and homeless people living with HIV are much more likely to decline into AIDS, from which it is physically difficult and fiscally arduous to recover.
Health Insurance Program (HIP)
HIP helps people living with HIV/AIDS pay their health insurance premiums, including COBRA payments, and copayments and deductibles if they have an income less than 300% of the Federal Poverty Guideline (FPG). For more information, please visit www.haartinc.org
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