HIV/AIDS

Council Resources

Implementing HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) in a Homeless Primary Care Clinic (June 2019) | Webinar by the VA Los Angeles Greater Healthcare System presented by the National Health Care for the Homeless Council
Homeless Care Providers and Rapid HIV Testing (2015) | HIV testing and counseling are the cornerstones of HIV prevention response, allowing individuals to know their HIV status and access appropriate services. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends routine, voluntary HIV screening for all patients aged 13 to 65 years in all health care settings as a normal part of medical practice, similar to screening for other treatable conditions. In the spring of 2013, National HCH Council staff in collaboration with Dr. Cathie Fogg, Associate Nursing Professor at St. Anslem College in Manchester, NH developed a survey based on Pender’s Health Promotion Model. The survey was administered to homeless health care providers to assess their Rapid HIV testing practices. The report contains the results of the survey.
In Focus: December 2012: HIV/AIDS among Persons Experiencing Homelessness (2012)

HIV Testing in Health-Care Settings: Program Assistance Letter 2010-13 | Health Resources and Services Administration – This Program Assistance Letter (PAL) is to provide Health Center Program grantees information regarding the CDC’s “Revised Recommendations for HIV Testing of Adults, Adolescents, and Pregnant Women in Health-Care Settings.” The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC) continue to support reducing the number of people who become infected with HIV, increasing access to care and optimizing health outcomes for people living with HIV, and reducing HIV-related health disparities. This PAL also identifies resources for training and technical assistance to help health centers follow the Revised Recommendations.
HIV/AIDS Care & Treatment in Health Centers: Program Assistance Letter 2011-06 | Health Resources and Services Administration – This Health PAL provides information and resources regarding the treatment and care of PLWHA. In alignment with the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, HRSA and BPHC will continue to support efforts to prevent new HIV infections, provide access to high quality care for PLWHA, and reduce HIV-related health disparities.
Informed Consent and Agreement to HIV Testing | Sample document.

Cultural Competence: Strengthening the Clinician’s Role in Delivering Quality HIV Care within Homeless Communities | Slides from a webinar by the AIDS Education and Training Center-National Multicultural Center at Howard University, College of Medicine, this webinar identified the factors that contribute to homelessness among PLWHA, helped participants to understand barriers that people experiencing homelessness who are living with HIV/AIDS face when attempting to access quality medical care, and presented strategies for providing culturally competent, quality, HIV/AIDS care to people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.