Community:
Establish Linkages and Connections to Care Within Organizations and Across Organizations to Develop Programs, Policies, and Referral Opportunities
- Identify team/clinic needs (HIV education, staff, etc.) and approach other community organizations for help.
- Identify all possible referral to care sources.
- Identify key community organizations (AIDS Service Organizations, drug treatment centers, youth/teen centers, women’s health and advocacy groups, local hospice organizations, visiting nurse associations, faith-based organizations, civic groups, clubs, schools, hospitals, banks, etc.) and suggest ways they can help. Identify and work with local/state/national interest groups (AIDS lobbying organizations, National Minority AIDS Council, Project Inform, Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA), and others). Request education and services from universities, colleges, managed care organizations, and extension services.
- Link with these groups to provide adherence support, emotional support, transportation, meals, housing, child and family services, legal services, and other needs.
- Find and link to available HIV testing sites in the community.
- Prepare a brief presentation that outlines the goals of the HIV project, the mission of your organization, and what you are striving to do for the community you serve. Offer to speak to local service organizations or at workshops sponsored by universities or professional organizations.
- Develop relationships to ensure information flow between the health center or clinic and the hospital relating to ER visits, admissions, and monthly statistics (for example, automatic fax or ER visit note).
- Ask for community representatives to attend and be part of advisory groups.
- Periodically review partnerships and agreements to determine success.
- Identify clinic leadership to serve on community boards.
- Overcome barriers of competition and separate agendas between organizations. Obtain the buy-in of senior leaders of the other organizations, identify common goals, and "sell" the benefits of collaboration.
- Work with Americorps / VISTA to place staff to work on the HIV project.
- Develop a "buddy" program and coordinate peer educators.
- Encourage involvement in advocacy and community work and participation in community-offered education classes and support groups. Use the registry to mail out flyers to patients who have agreed to be on the mailing list. Include an endorsement from providers or respected community figures.
- Request supplies (pillboxes, electronic reminders, phone cards, bags) and unrestricted grants from pharmaceutical firms and local stores/pharmacies. Usually, all that is needed is a letter (a signature from a physician always helps) requesting an unrestricted educational grant or an unrestricted grant to improve HIV/AIDS disease patient care.
- Request funding from local service organizations for specific items (glasses, watches, alarm clocks), equipment, or services.
- Request discounts on fruits/vegetables or catered meals for special education programs or health fairs from local grocery chains.
- Identify key individuals with needed skills. Simplify the process and provide them something in return.
- Find sources for interpreters to assist with education, training materials, etc.
- Ask community partners how they can provide support for educating the community about HIV/AIDS disease, and to suggest others who might be willing and able to play a role.
- Host a meeting to encourage people to network and brainstorm how to work together. Have a local vendor supply food in exchange for advertising.
- Critically review partnerships and determine which are politically or financially worth continuing.
- Identify organizations with an interest in the prevention of the disease and its complications. As part of presentation preparation, be sure to know their motivation and address it up front.
- As soon as you see improvement in the data on your measures, provide this information to partners to demonstrate the impact on the health outcomes of your patients. (Note: Hospitals reap a huge benefit when community health centers improve chronic illness care. Data showing improvement provides powerful leverage for gaining in-kind support.)
- Use the AIDS Education Training Center (AETC).
- Access AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAP) or pharmaceutical company support for assistance with obtaining medications.
- Have a toll-free number for patients to call for information about hospital admissions and ER visits.
- Identify bargaining tools.
- Identify key individuals as liaison point persons.
- Include case managers in the collaboration effort.
- Monitor the number of referrals made to assess success at overcoming barriers.
- Before developing a relationship, review missions of different organizations to ensure compatibility.
- Develop memoranda of understanding or similar documents as needed to define partnerships.
- Use the consumer advisory board to identify potential peer educators. Provide peer educators with information on HIV/AIDS disease.
- Keep tally of number of patients linked to peer educators.
- Provide patients with donated phone cards or have a toll-free number to use for contacting peer educators.
- Make sure the agency offering the education class or support group has a similar mission to yours and that both will benefit from the referrals.
- Review the system for referring patients to the community agency offering the class or group.
- Assign a staff member to be a key contact and identify a key contact at the partner agency.
- "Prescribe" the class/group using a prescription pad.
- Keep in touch with patient participants if it is an ongoing class/group to determine problems and barriers, and to provide feedback and support.
- Constantly keep cultural sensitivity in mind.
- Anticipate that transportation to classes/groups may be a barrier for some patients, and find solutions.
- When approaching organizations for help, health centers or clinics should quantify requests clearly. Example:
Pillbox for 10 patients per month x
12 months = __________
Distribution costs per patient (staff time + mailing + data entry) x 10 patients per month = __________
Total Request = __________
- Face-to-face contact for requests is usually more effective than letters, except for formal grant requests.
- Ask all pharmaceutical representatives who detail the office for unrestricted grants to support the effort.
- Ask senior leaders to allow staff to present to potential funders as part of paid time.
- Utilize senior leaders and Board of Directors if possible to identify/search out possible grant opportunities or funding sources.
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