Life Is Work

RYAN WHITE TITLE III HIV CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING GRANTS - RYAN WHITE HIV/AIDS PROGRAM PART C CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM PROJECT ABSTRACT PROJECT TITLE: FY 2023 RWHAP PART C CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM HIV REMAINS A PRIMARY PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN DUE IN PART TO SIGNIFICANT DISPARITIES IN RATES AMONG PEOPLE OF COLOR, WITH BLACK AND HISPANIC/LATINO POPULATIONS BEING THE MOST AFFECTED COMMUNITIES. ACCORDING TO THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN, TRANSGENDER WOMEN IN THE US HAVE ALARMINGLY HIGH HIV INFECTION RATES, WITH 49 TIMES THE ODDS OF HAVING HIV COMPARED TO THE GENERAL POPULATION, AND AN ALARMING TOTAL OF 21.6% OF TRANSGENDER WOMEN ARE ESTIMATED TO BE LIVING WITH HIV. WHILE TRANSGENDER MEN ARE LESS LIKELY TO BE HIV POSITIVE THAN TRANSGENDER WOMEN, THEIR INFECTION RATES ARE STILL HIGHER THAN THAT OF THE GENERAL POPULATION. IN ORDER TO REVERSE THESE DISPARITIES, LIFE IS WORK (LIW) IS REQUESTING $150,000 TO ENHANCE THE CURRENT ORGANIZATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE TO RESPOND TO THE CHANGING HEALTHCARE LANDSCAPE AND TO INCREASE CAPACITY TO IMPROVE AND EXPAND ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY HIV PRIMARY HEALTHCARE SERVICES FOR LOW-INCOME AND UNDERSERVED TRANSGENDER AND NON-BINARY PEOPLE WITH HIV IN CHICAGO. TO DO THIS LIW WILL WORK ALONGSIDE THE COOK COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO PROVIDE GENDER-AFFIRMING SERVICES DURING WEEKLY, SCHEDULED HIV TESTING CLINICS. UNDER THE HIV CARE INNOVATION CATEGORY, LIW WILL PROVIDE GENDER-AFFIRMING TRAINING TO HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS, DIRECT ASSISTANCE WITH LEGAL NAME CHANGES, NON-MEDICAL CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES, AND REFERRALS TO OTHER GENDER-AFFIRMING SERVICES. THE OVERARCHING GOAL IS TO STRENGTHEN ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY TO EXPAND ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY GENDER-AFFIRMING HIV PRIMARY HEALTH CARE SERVICES BY EXPANDING THE HIV CARE CONTINUUM MODEL TO RESPOND TO THE NEEDS OF TRANS AND NON-BINARY PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIW. THE ORGANIZATION WILL ACHIEVE THIS GOAL BY HIRING ADDITIONAL STAFF, CO-HOSTING WEEKLY HIV TESTING CLINICS, ENHANCING AND PROVIDING LIW’S TRANS COMPETENCY TRAINING, AND OFFERING NON-ME DICAL CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES FROM SEPTEMBER 1, 2023, TO AUGUST 31, 2024. LIW HAS A PROVEN TRACK RECORD OF HIGH-QUALITY SERVICE DELIVERY OF GENDER-AFFIRMING PROGRAMMING. BY CONFIRMING THE VALIDITY OF THE IMPORTANCE OF PROVIDING GENDER-AFFIRMING HEALTHCARE AND SOCIAL SERVICES TO THE TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY, LIW WILL IMPROVE THE LIVES OF TRANSGENDER PEOPLE WITH HIV AND ELIMINATE HEALTH DISPARITIES.