INNOVATIONS

Cascade AIDS Project (CAP) is the oldest and largest community-based provider of HIV services, housing, education and advocacy in Oregon and Southwest Washington. CAP’s mission is to prevent HIV infections, support and empower people living with or affected by HIV, and eliminate HIV-related stigma and health disparities. To enhance service provision for underserved communities, CAP implements the Minority AIDS Initiative (MAI) program, which serves African-American and Latino people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) who experience barriers to medical care access and engagement.

SERVICES

Two full-time Service Navigators offer culturally appropriate linkage to care, support for medical engagement and medication adherence, HIV health education, support groups, and linkage to community resources. The objective of this combination of services is to effectively connect and engage African-American and Latino PLWHA who are below 200% of the federal poverty line into medical care. MAI Service Navigators possess a keen understanding of the daily challenges their clients face, including chronic homelessness, poverty, mental illness and substance use, limited access to transportation, systemic oppression, and lack of cultural understanding by service providers. What makes CAP’s MAI program unique and successful is that all participants work with Service Navigators from their own communities. Service Navigators maintain small, manageable caseloads and have invaluable personal experience with managing barriers to care that are similar to those faced by their clients.