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Applied in 2007

North County Expansion

ACTION - AIDS Care Teams In Our Neighborhoods

Program Facts

  • Paid (FTE) Staff Working: 1
  • Program Participants Last Year: 15
  • Meets about 25 time(s) with each participant per month
  • Participants remain in the program for 24 months

Volunteers

Volunteers per month: 150

Volunteers are trained:

Volunteer Training
AlwaysRarely

Volunteers are actively recruited:

Volunteer Recruiting
AlwaysRarely

Board Activities

  • Formally reviews the performance of the chief executive officer at least once every two years.
  • Formally approves the budget.
  • Ensures that arrangements with outside fund raising firms are made in writing.
  • Receives information about the financial arrangements with such firms and, if applicable, the anticipated portion of the gross proceeds that goes to the organization.
  • Receives, at least quarterly, the organization's financial statement.
  • Convenes an audit committee.

Outcomes & Measures: (self-reported)

Outcome 1
Care Partners and Care Team volunteers gain new sense of purpose and self-worth knowing they have a circle of caring friends.

Measure
Monthly Care Team reports and conversations with the Care Partners.

Outcome 2
Care Partners improve in adherence to medical protocols and medication rules.

Measure
Reports from Social Workers and conversations with Care Partners.

Outcome 3
Care Partners' T-Cell numbers go up and Viral Load counts go down.

Measure
Reports from Social Workers, Physicians, and care Partners.

Outcome 4
Care Partners become interlinked with the community and other available services (e.g., Meals on Wheels, Community groups, etc).

Measure
Monthly Team coordinator reports and conversations with Care Partners and Team volunteers.

Outcome 5
The larger Orange County community benefits from our volunteer training and AIDS prevention outreach.

Measure
At our quarterly training sessions we typically have 20-30 members of the greater community (in which the training is held) in attendance.

Change Process: (self-reported)

People referred to our program often have little or no support network in their lives. The complications and isolation of living with HIV/AIDS often result in depression and the inability to follow a strenuous medical regime. Depression and the psychological and emotional impact of HIV/AIDS have been shown to negatively affect the immune system, requiring stronger medications that can, in turn, prompt more depression. The presence of our Care Teams of six to twelve accepting, supportive and engaged people demonstrably improves the mental health of the individual, giving the HIV/AIDS Care Partner a better quality of life, a renewed will to live, a sense of belonging and the resolve and support to follow demanding medical protocols. Care Team members have witnessed first-hand substantial improvements in T-cell counts, reduction in viral loads and enhanced quality of life in dozens of people served since the inception of the program. We have seen estranged family members reconciled before the deaths of Care Partners and Care Partners drawn out of emotional despair and misery to a state of peace and happiness. One Care Partner has become well enough as a result of his Care Team to volunteer on another Care Team and on our Board of Directors. Another Care Partner has seen his T-Cell count raise to its highest point since 1989. These are the types of changes our program can and does affect.