Interview with Chicago House Care Coordinator Aaron Vinson

Can you tell me a little bit about your role and how you first came to Chicago House?

I came to Chicago house through CHAP [Community Health Apprenticeship Program], which was really fun. I will always recommend it to everybody who wants to get into community health. After I graduated from the CHAP, [an Employment Services staff member] actually helped me get a job at Chicago House. Now, I'm a care coordinator. I started back in January 2020, so I've been here for nine months now. My main job is to make sure I can get clients access to PrEP [pre-exposure prophylaxis, a daily pill that prevents against contracting HIV].

Can you talk about the Prevention program’s work and the services you offer?

Our program works to slow the infection rate of HIV in the Chicagoland area. Specifically, we focus on those who are most vulnerable to HIV. If a client needs access to testing, PrEP, STI screenings, and/or treatment/ARTs [anti-retroviral therapies], the Prevention program can make it happen. One of the main mottos of the HOPE team is “treatment is prevention and prevention is treatment.”

What is one service that Prevention provides that you wish more people knew about or took advantage of?

I want participants to just utilize our care coordination services. Our job is to address the barriers to medical care. We link people medical care of their choosing, help schedule appointments, advocate for clients, and provide clients with knowledge about sexual health. Whether they need HIV care or PrEP, we make sure the participants get everything they need.  We also refer participants to insurance navigation, housing, and employment services.

Are there accessibility issues your participants face?

Yes. There are transportation issues which we try to rectify with CTA cards, but with the COVID pandemic happening, we offer Lyft and Uber services to and from medical appointments. There are insurance barriers. There is a lack of trust in the medical system among Black and Brown people, and so we advocate for our clients and arm them with knowledge so they can go into their doctor appointment to ask the right questions and know how to get that information from a doctor. There are barriers around homelessness, no income, lack of food, trauma, and ignorance and stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS and STIs in general that our clients face.

Let’s say I want to request your services. Can you take me through that process?

You can access our services in a multitude of ways. Once you reach out to us, we will meet with you within 24 hours. We start with a HIV test. Depending on the result, an individual can either come to the Linkage to PrEP services or the Linkage to HIV care services. It takes about 72 hours to get from testing to medication in hand. We try to keep the process simple.

Can you walk me through the process of getting a prescription for PrEP?

[A participant] would come in and get screened for HIV. It has to be a negative result or a non-reactive result. After that, we begin the care coordination process. At this time, we work together to identify a medical provider that they like and support them in completing a medical appointment. Bloodwork is completed and a prescription is given based on the provider and participant but is usually same day. 

Let’s say I want to know my status. Can you walk me through that process?

It all starts with a test. We can walk you through an at home HIV test or be connected to our in person testing at Loyola Center for Health at 1100 Lake St, Suite 150 Oak Park, IL 60301. Beginning October 1st, We will be providing HIV testing and care coordination services five days a week at our new office location at 6307 S Stewart Ave, Chicago, IL 60621.

What happens when someone’s HIV screen comes up positive? What are their options and next steps when working with the HOPE department?

When somebody’s HIV screening comes up positive, we support them through the entire process.  We begin with checking in on how they feel and then begin discussion about care. Since the participant’s health is our priority, we want them to have to the best possible health outcome.

What is the number one greatest need you see within the communities you work with around HIV, STIs, harm reduction, and sexual health?

Education. There's a lot of ignorance and misinformation surrounding HIV, STIs, and harm reduction. A lot of people are like, “Oh, HIV is a gay man's thing” or “I don't have to worry about HIV because, yada, yada, I don't have butt sex.” If you are having sex with someone and do not have a paper stating their HIV status, you are vulnerable to HIV. Everyone can be affected. There is a lot ignorance and stigma around HIV and STIs. We also know it is difficult to enter the medical system and try to make that part easy.

What is a recent impact or initiative of your program that you are particularly proud of?

We recently moved to offices in the St. Bernard Ambulatory Care Center and we will provide HIV testing and care coordination beginning October 1st. We look forward to being more accessible and having a space to provide our services five days a week. I am also proud of Screen Time, a new at home testing program. We are still able to test participants over zoom and link them to care still within 72 hours!