Expanded HIV Outreach and Prevention Services to Meet Clients Where They Are

In September 2020, Chicago House expanded our HIV prevention and outreach services and relocated our HIV Outreach, Prevention, and Education (HOPE) program to Englewood--one of nine communities most impacted by HIV in Chicago. HOPE annually serves nearly 1,000 individuals through HIV screening, connection to care, telehealth services, and connection to PrEP. To continue serving individuals during the pandemic, HOPE launched Screen Time, a telehealth, HIV and harm reduction kit delivery service in May 2020. While COVID-19 has impacted Chicago House's efforts to continue reaching individuals interested in knowing their status and connecting individuals to care, through the Screen Time initiative, HOPE has reached more than 150 individuals meeting their individual sexual health needs. 

In December, HOPE expanded services to include a mobile testing van that is available to meet individuals where they are with the testing services they need. Individuals are able to walk into our office to meet with a prevention coordinator and receive an HIV test; schedule delivery of a harm reduction kit, including rapid HIV screen, and a follow-up appointment with a care coordinator; schedule a tele-PrEP meeting to learn about and start PrEP; or meet a staff member in the Chicago House van for services that address their sexual health needs. 

The two critical measures to Getting to Zero Illinois, a statewide plan to end the HIV epidemic in Illinois by 2030, and our HIV and sexual health work is to work with individuals to know their status and increase PrEP uptake by 20%. These steps, coupled with mobile and at-home prevention services, make our HIV and sexual health services more accessible and support the GTZ-IL plan better than ever before.

See our offices and learn more about our service with the video below.