Portland, OR | May 05, 2020 - CareLink is a short-term program (3 to 6 months) that provides connection to medical care for HIV-positive people who are newly diagnosed with HIV, incarcerated or recently incarcerated, as well as those who have not seen an HIV medical provider in more than six months.

Carelink patient navigators have small caseloads and are able to commit significant time to each participant; it is common for navigators to spend 2 – 3 hours each day with only one participant, attending medical appointments, connecting clients with housing services, and making appropriate referrals. CareLink services are available to persons living in Multnomah, Columbia, Yamhill, Washington and Clackamas Counties.

The majority of participants that work with CareLink staff are experiencing homelessness and/or substance use disorders. Participants come into the CareLink program having been disengaged from medical care for a myriad of reasons, but many cite the hardship of being homeless as the main reason. When on the streets or living in cars or shelter, it is unfortunately common to have medications stolen, misplaced, or lost when moving from campsite to campsite. Beyond the hardship of taking medication each day, going to see a doctor is simply not a priority when more immediate needs such as looking for shelter or something to eat take precedence. 

The outbreak of COVID-19 has required the CareLink team to use creative means to reach some of our people that even without the presence of a pandemic are the most hard to reach due to many experiencing homelessness. This has included purchasing cell phones and conducting “phone drops” for participants who would otherwise have no means to contact their navigators. These phones have also allowed our participants who are homeless to shelter in-place and access telehealth appointments rather than risk exposure when going to see their medical provider directly.

Navigation staff consist of Julia Brown, Claudia Adler, and Kyle Giard-Chase. Together the team has roughly 10 years of experience working at CAP and within the HIV+ community.