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Tina Counterman, a social worker at
Sacred Heart Rehabilitation Center’s (SHRC) AIDS Care Program, Midland,
Michigan. emphasizes the importance of stable housing for individuals with HIV
infection or AIDS. She explains that without proper housing, patients are not
likely to have access to adequate treatment. In her role, she connects
individuals with HIV infection or AIDS to treatment and funding to pay for
treatment, transportation to medical care, and assistance with finding stable
housing and testing. Counterman regrets that, although persons with HIV
infection or AIDS are living longer, there is still stigma about the disease.
To find stable housing, Counterman
may seek out both short- and long-term housing solutions. Short-term assistance
covers crises, such as help with mortgage and utility payments and repairs, and
long-term assistance refers to finding the patient permanent housing. A federal
program called Tenant-Based Rental Assistance pays part of the rent and will
continue for two years even if the individual has to move.
Midland County reports 11 residents
diagnosed with HIV infection and 14 with AIDS. The typical patient is young,
with no work history, and living on a Supplemental Security Income of $698 a
month. The city provides very little housing for persons under age 65. Funds
for housing under SHRC’s AIDS Care Program originate from the US Department of
Housing and Urban Development and the Michigan Department of Community Health.
The Ryan White Care Act pays for case management and furnishes the copayments
for medical care, transportation, and mental health services.
SHRC provides 10 counties with
behavioral health services, including substance abuse, mental health and
specialized programs for women, and HIV/AIDS prevention and care management.
Also, the SHRC AIDS Care Program participates in the Midland County Continuum
of Care, a collaboration of more than 20 agencies working to prevent
homelessness by supplying housing-related services to the homeless or persons
living in substandard housing.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
