HIV Support Services

Benefits Assistance:

Pinnacle Family Health's Benefits and Eligibility Coordinators assist clients with application for public and private programs such as Medicaid, Medicare Part D, the state AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), Pharmacy Assistance Programs, Pharmaceutical Manufacturer's Patient Assistance Programs, other state or local health care and supportive services, or health insurance Marketplace plans.

The Benefits and Eligibility Coordinators also work with each client to determine their eligibility for Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) services.

Housing Assistance (HOPWA):

Pinnacle Family Health offers three types of Housing Assistance.

• Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) - TBRA is a rental subsidy used to help participants obtain permanent housing in the private rental housing market that meets housing quality standards and is rent reasonable. Under TBRA, funding is provided to an eligible client and the client selects a housing unit of his or her choice. If the client moves out of the unit, the contract with the owner ends and the client can move with continued assistance to another unit. In other words, TBRA is portable and moves with the client. Clients may receive ongoing TBRA support for up to 24 months. In the case that a client needs to extend their time with TBRA support, a waiver can be requested by the Non-Medical Case Manager. You can speak with a Non-Medical Case Manager regarding TBRA eligibility and guidelines.
  
  
• Short-Term Rent, Mortgage and Utility Services (STRMU) - The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program provides funding for housing and services for low-income persons living with HIV/AIDS and their families in order to prevent homelessness. This includes assistance with emergency short-term rent, mortgage, and utility payments. Services provided include payments for eligible persons who are in danger of becoming homeless to assist them with remaining in their home. Specifically, short-term rent, mortgage, and utility payments may be made on behalf of eligible clients. You can speak with a Non-Medical Case Manager regarding STRMU eligibility and guidelines.
  
  
• Permanent Housing Placement (PHP) - PHP is intended to assist program participants to secure and move into permanent housing. PHP is used to place individuals into housing, and not assist individuals already in housing. PHP can be used in conjunction with Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA). PHP funds cannot be used for moving costs, standard furnishings, or housekeeping/household items.

Services provided include:

• Application fees and credit check expenses
• One-time utility connection fees and deposits
• Rental Security Deposits or First/Last Month’s Rent

You can speak with a Non-Medical Case Manager regarding PHP eligibility and guidelines.

Mental Health Services:

Mental Health Services are the provision of outpatient psychological and psychiatric screening, assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and counseling services offered to clients living with HIV. Services are based on a treatment plan, conducted in an outpatient group or individual session, and provided by a mental health professional licensed or authorized within the state to render such services. This typically includes psychiatrists, psychologists, and licensed clinical social workers. Pinnacle Family Health has a psychologist and licensed professional counselor on staff at its offices.

Medical Case Management:

Medical Case Management is the provision of a range of client-centered activities focused on improving health outcomes in support of the HIV care continuum. Activities may be prescribed by an interdisciplinary team that includes other specialty care providers.

The objective of Medical Case Management services is to improve a person's health outcomes. Priority populations include people who are newly diagnosed, homeless, pregnant, have a mental health diagnosis, have a history of substance use, are out of care, have a language or cultural barrier, or have the absence of speech, sight, hearing, or mobility.

Medical Case Management includes:

• An initial assessment of service needs;
• Development of a comprehensive, individualized care plan;
• Coordination of services required to implement the care plan and client monitoring to assess the effectiveness of the plan;
• Re-evaluation every six months and adaptation of the care plan as necessary.
• Also includes the provision of treatment adherence counseling to ensure readiness for, and adherence to, complex HIV treatments.

Non-Medical Case Management:

Non-Medical Case Management services provide guidance and assistance in accessing medical, social, community, legal, financial, and other needed services. Non-Medical Case Management services may also include assisting eligible clients to obtain access to other public and private programs for which they may be available. When not handled by Pinnacle Family Health's Benefits Coordinator, the Non-Medical Case Managers may assist with public and private programs such as Medicaid, Medicare Part D, the state AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), Pharmacy Assistance Programs, Pharmaceutical Manufacturer's Patient Assistance Programs, other state or local health care and supportive services, or health insurance Marketplace plans.

Non-Medical Case Management services are home and community-based. Case Managers will encounter patients in their environment, which may include a residence, a public facility, in the streets, or at Pinnacle Family Health's offices.

Services will target individual clients who have difficulty functioning well in the community due to barriers which include, but are not limited to: lack of knowledge regarding available services, inability to maintain financial independence, homelessness, deteriorating medical condition, psychiatric illness, substance use, illiteracy, inability to complete necessary forms, inability to arrange and complete entitlement and medical appointments, language/cultural barriers, and/or the absence of speech, sight, hearing, or mobility.

The objective of Non-Medical Case Management is to provide guidance and assistance in improving access to needed services. Non-Medical Case Management does not involve coordination and follow-up of medical treatments, as Medical Case Management does.

Non-Medical Case Management includes:

• Initial assessment of service needs;
• Development of a comprehensive, individualized care plan;
• Continuous client monitoring to assess the effectiveness of the care plan;
• Re-evaluation of the care plan at least every six months with adaptations as necessary;
• Ongoing assessment of the client's and other key family members’ needs and personal support systems.

Medical Transportation Assistance:

Medical Transportation is the provision of non-emergency transportation services that enables an eligible client to access or be retained in core medical and support services.

Transportation services for people living with HIV and accompanying significant others to access medical and/or support services. Transportation can include, but not be limited to, scheduled and unscheduled routes and destinations as supported by documented client need. This service does not include emergency transportation services.

To be eligible for Medical Transportation Assistance, the client must be ineligible for Medicaid transportation or other transportation services.

The client should be referred for services by a Pinnacle Case Manager, Direct Assistance Coordinator, or other approved Pinnacle personnel.

Food Voucher Program:

Our Food Voucher Program provides nutritional assistance to eligible Ryan White clients in need of nutritional support. This program also includes the provision of essential non-food items that are limited to the following:

• Personal hygiene products;
• Household cleaning supplies;
• Water filtration/purification systems in communities where issues of water safety exist.

Unallowable costs associated with the Food Voucher Services program include:

• Any item not explicitly described above;
• Household appliances;
• Pet foods;
• Alcohol;
• Tobacco

Clients must be properly screened by the Case Manager for other available food assistance programs, such as Louisiana Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and WIC. New applications should be submitted annually. However, participation in another food assistance program (i.e., SNAP, WIC, etc.) does not preclude a client from receiving Food Voucher services.

Support Groups:

We offer at least one Support Group meeting for our clients living with HIV every month. The support groups feature a variety of speakers discussing a variety of topics relevant to people living with HIV. Snacks are always provided, too!